Tag: Trevor Penning

Giants land edge rusher, tackle in latest PFF mock draft

In the most recent mock draft from PFF, the New York Giants land an edge rusher and offensive tackle — but not the common names.

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NFL free agency is heading into full swing, so many of the previous mock drafts are being rendered irrelevant from a team ‘needs’ standpoint as teams being not fill their glaring holes with free agents.

In their latest 2022 mock draft, the folks at Pro Football Focus didn’t really care about that too much. They believe teams will still seek to fill their weakest positions with highly-ranked rookies through the draft.

When it comes to the New York Giants, PFF still sees them bringing in the big bodies with the firth and seventh overall selections — one of defense, one on offense.

5. NEW YORK GIANTS: EDGE JERMAINE JOHNSON, FLORIDA STATE

One of the biggest risers in this draft class kept that momentum going at the combine. Johnson has proven throughout this process that he’s a total-package edge player and one of the best players in the draft.

The 6-foot-5, 262-pound Jermaine Johnson began his career at Georgia before transferring to FSU, and most would have mocked another Bulldog to the Giants (Travon Walker) here ahead of Johnson but the fact is, they both are forces to be reckoned with.

Johnson was the ACC Defensive Player of the Year in 2021 with 23 runs stops and 14 sacks. He can play either side of the line with his hand in the dirt or standing and is not a liability in coverage if asked to drop back. New defense coordinator Wink Martindale would have fun with him and make opponents miserable.

7. NEW YORK GIANTS (VIA CHI): OT TREVOR PENNING, NORTHERN IOWA

The Giants re-signed offensive tackle Matt Gono and guard Mark Glowinski. They also signed guard Jon Feliciano. But I don’t think they’re done prioritizing the offensive line. Something Giants new GM Joe Schoen emphasized multiple times at his combine presser was the qualities of offensive linemen being “smart, tough and dependable.” He went on to detail traits of speed and strength. Now, any coach would want those qualities but after seeing Penning impress athletically at the combine, it makes me think he could be very high on their list.

At 6-foot-7 and 325 pounds, Trevor Penning is surely big enough to be an effective tackle in the NFL. What’s not listed here is his strength and demeanor. The Giants want to add some nastiness and finishers up front and this kid fits both bills.

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2022 NFL Scouting Combine shows that there are plenty of players worthy of No. 14 pick for Ravens

The 2022 NFL Scouting Combine showed that there are plenty of players that are worthy of the Ravens’ No. 14 overall pick

The Baltimore Ravens currently hold the No. 14 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft. It is one of the higher selections that they’ve held over the course of their franchise history, so they’ll need to capitalize and find the best player available who also can fill a need.

Testing at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine took place from Thursday through Sunday, with many different positional groups putting their skills on display. At the conclusion of the event there were many takeaways to leave with, including the fact that Baltimore will have plenty of talent to choose from when they are on the clock.

From defensive lineman to offensive lineman, cornerbacks, outside linebackers and even more, the Ravens could replenish plenty of their positions of need with nine draft picks in the first four rounds of 2022.

 

Myles Garrett has an interesting message for draft prospect Trevor Penning

Browns edge-rusher Myles Garrett had a “Goodluck with that” message for top prospect offensive lineman Trevor Penning.

Northern Iowa offensive tackle Trevor Penning upped his profile during a Senior Bowl in which he looked for fight after fight as a blocker, and frequently found them. Penning took his brand further during the scouting combine, when he ran a 4.89 40-yard dash, had a 28-inch vertical jump, a 111-inch broad jump, a 7.25-second three-cone drill, and a 4.62-second 20-yard shuttle.

That’s all good, but what happens when Penning takes his hyper-aggressive style to the NFL, and the NFL’s best pass-rushers and pass-rushing schemes? That’s another matter. Penning allowed one sack and 11 total pressures last season when his toughest opponent was… maybe Eastern Washington? Things get more complicated in the NFL, and even at the Senior Bowl, Penning’s aggressiveness worked against him as much as it helped him — like on the rep where he threw an edge defender right into quarterback Desmond Ridder, essentially creating his own sack.

That’s not to say that Penning doesn’t have top-tier NFL potential — some team is probably going to invest a first-round pick to find out. But Browns edge-rusher Myles Garrett, who had 16 sacks, 15 quarterback hits, and 45 quarterback hurries in 2021, wanted Mr. Penning to know that things are going to be a bit tougher the next time he puts on a uniform, and things get real.

Good luck with Garrett’s bull-rush, or Von Miller’s long-arm, or T.J. Watt’s speed counter? Indeed. That’ll be the next level of Penning’s development, and Garrett just wanted to remind him of that.

How the Panthers’ potential 1st-round draft targets fared on Friday

The Panthers may have themselves a few options at OL with the draft’s sixth overall pick—all of which were present for Friday’s combine proceedings.

The offensive linemen and running backs of the 2022 NFL draft class took the combine field in Indianapolis on Friday. And for the Carolina Panthers, at least in pertinence to their first-round pick, the focus had to be on the former group.

Here’s how the day’s possible contenders for that sixth overall selection showed out at Lucas Oil Stadium to kick off the weekend.

2022 scouting combine: Who stood out among the offensive linemen in Friday’s drills?

Friday was the day for the offensive linemen to get on the field at Lucas Oil Stadium. Which linemen stood out at the scouting combine?

Remember Thursday night at the scouting combine, when the receivers were running all kinds of crazy 40 times, and it held up fairly well even when the times were made official? That extended to Friday’s offensive line drills, when we saw a display of pure speed from the big men we’ve never seen before.

There were six linemen with official sub-5.0 40-yard dash times in the first group, and six in the second. The previous record was six, and there were 11 sub-4.5 40-yard dashes overall in the last three combines.

The 10-yard splits were just as impressive, meaning that we have a group of offensive linemen who can get on the hoof to a highly impressive degree. Many of those linemen also looked great in the position drills, with natural movement and agility.

NFL teams should be going away from these drills excited about the talent available in the 2022 draft, and that’s without two of the best linemen — Alabama offensive tackle Evan Neal and Iowa center Tyler Linderbaum — choosing to pass on the activities for now.

Is this the year Terron Armstead’s 40-yard dash record falls?

Is this the year Terron Armstead’s 40-yard dash record falls? How to watch offensive line drills at the NFL combine:

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This year’s crop of blockers made a strong impression during Thursday’s media availability session, and now the rookie class can go through their paces in the on-field workouts. Offensive linemen are running the 40-yard dash, broad and vertical jumps, and agility drills on Friday. You can keep up with the coverage from the NFL scouting combine on NFL Network from 3 to 10 p.m. CT.

And this just might be the year that Terron Armstead’s legendary 40-yard dash record gets knocked down a peg. The longtime New Orleans Saints left tackle put himself on the map back in 2013, when he weighed in at 306 pounds and then breezed through 40 yards in a laser-timed 4.71 seconds. It’s a historic achievement in athleticism that hasn’t been repeated since. For context, most linemen are thrilled just to clock the distance in under five seconds.

That doesn’t mean it’ll hold up forever. There are some other incredible athletes in this year’s draft, especially at offensive tackle, ranging from Alabama’s Evan Neal to North Carolina State’s Ikem Ekwonu and Mississippi State’s Charles Cross. Northern Iowa’s Trevor Penning could also make some noise.

But that’s just the group of tackles projected to go in the first round — let’s remember that Armstead himself was just a third round pick coming out of Arkansas-Pine Bluff, and it took an all-time great combine performance for him to get there. Maybe someone else quite literally breaks away from the pack on Friday. We’ll be watching closely to see.

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How the Panthers’ potential 1st-round draft targets fared on Thursday

Check out how the potential Panthers of the 2022 NFL draft represented themselves during Thursday’s combine showcase.

As it stands, the sixth overall pick of the 2022 NFL draft can go a number of ways for its owner in the Carolina Panthers. But we may have gotten a step closer to a clearer picture of its future.

So here—with the class’ quarterbacks, wide receivers, tight ends and offensive linemen taking the stage—is how the potential targets for that sixth selection did at the combine on Thursday.

The big men take to the stage in Indianapolis

Mark Schofield shares some of the highlights from the offensive line media sessions at the NFL Combine.

Thursday morning at the Indianapolis Convention Center was, for lack of a better word, imposing.

After all, the men who will be tasked with protecting the likes of Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert, Josh Allen and the rest of the 32 starting quarterbacks in the National Football League had their chance to address the media at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Here are some takeaways from what the big men had to say.

Bleacher Report names one prospect that Ravens should be watching at 2022 Scouting Combine

Bleacher Report named one prospect that the Ravens should be watching at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine

The Baltimore Ravens will have to find many solid rookie contributors in the 2022 draft. The team is looking to upgrade at many different positions, and the 2022 class is a very deep and talented one.

With on-field drills starting at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine on Thursday, Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report put together a list of one prospect that each team should be watching over the next few days. For Baltimore, Sobleski chose University of Northern Iowa offensive tackle Trevor Penning, citing the Ravens’ need for offensive line help in general.

“If Penning tests well, the Ravens would be an ideal landing spot for him at No. 14 overall. Baltimore has issues along its offensive line, and Penning could be the long-term answer at right tackle as long as left tackle Ronnie Stanley comes back healthy.”

Penning is a very talented player and like Sobleski mentions, with good testing numbers he could push himself into the middle of the first round. However he has plenty of areas to improve in, so the Combine will be key for him in terms of showing teams that he has what it takes to be a solid contributor at the NFL level.

There are many great offensive tackle prospects for Baltimore to keep an eye on as the 2022 draft draws closer. Penning has been a name linked to the Ravens, but even if he doesn’t end up in purple and black the team will have no shortage of lineman to choose from.

Titans select Trevor Penning in Touchdown Wire mock draft

If Penning is still around at No. 26 overall, the Titans should strongly consider drafting him.

The Tennessee Titans need to take a long hard look at their offensive line after it struggled in pass protection last season, and one possible avenue they could take to address that is in the 2022 NFL draft.

In the latest mock draft from Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar, the Titans select Northern Iowa offensive tackle, Trevor Penning.

Here’s Farrar’s take:

“In 2021, Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill took 48 sacks (only Joe Burrow had more with 70), and he was pressured on 34.4% of his dropbacks, throwing seven touchdown passes and six interceptions when he was thrown off his ideal spot. Right tackle David Quessenberry was the primary issue in this department, as he allowed a league-high 11 sacks and 60 total pressures. Quessenberry was a decent run-blocker, but if the Titans are going to separate themselves in an AFC that is absolutely stacked at the top, they’ll need better protection than that — and they also need a blocker who can amplify Derrick Henry’s efforts in Tennessee’s power run game.

“Penning, who really became a name during the Senior Bowl with his spirited play style, would be a great fit. He’s a natural road-grader, and he allowed just one sack and 11 total pressures last season. Strength of competition might be an issue in the short term when Penning makes his NFL transition, but he’s got the tools to be an ideal mauling tackle at the next level. As long as Penning maintains his leverage as opposed to looking for a fight, he’ll be fine.”

If Penning is still available at No. 26 overall, the Titans should strongly consider taking him.

The 6-foot-7, 321-pound tackle can play on either side and is a fit in any scheme. Further, he excels in pass protection, something Tennessee could use at right tackle after David Quessenberry led the NFL in sacks allowed.

In 2022, Penning could step into the starting role there right away, and there’s a chance he could be the left tackle of the future once Taylor Lewan is no longer in Nashville.

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