Washington Huskies quarterback Michael Penix Jr. has been one of the biggest risers in the NFL draft process. After questions were raised throughout the draft cycle about his injuries, mechanics, and other parts of his game, the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy did an impressive job putting to rest any doubt scouts might have about him.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said that NFL teams have also been impressed by Penix over the last few months, and said on SportsCenter that Penix appears to be a lock to hear his name called in the first round.
“I’ve talked to several teams who believe that he will go somewhere in round one,” Fowler said. “They’re saying where they pick in the early second round, they don’t expect him to be there. His previous shoulder and knee issues have largely checked out and the teams I’ve talked to are pretty comfortable with that.”
Penix is among the best quarterbacks in the class at pushing the ball downfield and should have multiple suitors in the first round. Two teams that could be in contention for his services in the first round are the Minnesota Vikings, who hold picks No. 11 and No. 23, and the Las Vegas Raiders, who hold the No. 13 pick.
From @SportsCenter
*Making sense of Jayden Daniels smoke around No. 2
*Patriots’ outlook at 3
*Penix stock
*Dak prepared for anything, contract talks slow pic.twitter.com/dRJ6iRcf2Z— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) April 20, 2024
While he isn’t expected to be selected in the top 10, when as many as four quarterbacks could hear their names called, Penix is expected to be the fifth signal caller off the board and depending on where some teams value him, he could be selected as early as inside the top 15. [lawrence-related id=2369]