Whew: the New Orleans Saints made another splash in the 2022 NFL draft, selecting Northern Iowa left tackle Trevor Penning at No. 19 overall. And he’s landed in a great spot to reach his potential after impressing at a lower level of competition in college. Some of those concerns were lessened during a strong week of practices at the Senior Bowl, but it’s still on the radar.
There aren’t many more athletic linemen in this year’s draft than Penning, who committed to Northern Iowa as a 230-pound high schooler and packed on 100 pounds of muscle to lock down the left tackle spot. And there probably isn’t anyone in the draft with a more aggressive style of play, but that’s something Penning must do a better job of reining in — setting the tone is valuable, but he was penalized often at Northern Iowa for taking things past the whistle.
So it’s reassuring to know the Saints have some great coaches ready to work with him. They hired former Jacksonville Jaguars and Buffalo Bills head coach Doug Marrone as their new offensive line coach, retaining assistant coach and longtime Saints right tackle Zach Strief. Both of them should be tremendous resources for Penning as he transitions to the NFL.
And that’s exciting. You’ll see Penning projected to start right away, but look for the Saints to put him in a true training camp competition with James Hurst, an experienced veteran who logged more snaps at left tackle than Terron Armstead did in 2021. Hopefully Penning takes well to coaching and wins that job, but if he needs a little time to get ready, the Saints are positioned well to wait on him. But it shouldn’t take long if his attitude on the field translates to the classroom.