For the past several months, NFL analysts have guessed the draft order for the top six quarterbacks in the upcoming draft.
USC’s Caleb Williams is presumed to be the top overall pick.
Then, pundits believe that UNC’s Drake Maye, LSU’s Jayden Daniels, Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy, Oregon’s Bo Nix, and Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. will follow.
According to an anonymous NFL offensive assistant coach, Penix should be the third quarterback off the board.
Is Michael Penix Jr. really the No. 3 quarterback in a draft class loaded of them?
An anonymous offensive assistant believes so, he tells @BruceFeldmanCFB.https://t.co/KxeCXeLw47 pic.twitter.com/mzvR6bpE3s
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) April 23, 2024
As reported by the Athletic’s Bruce Feldman, the NFL assistant commented, “Penix is third for me. He can already do all the pocket stuff. I just wish he had more juice.”
Penix began his college football career at the University of Indiana, where he played four seasons.
Two devastating knee injuries limited his time as a Hoosier and Penix then transferred to Washington in 2022.
His two seasons playing for coach Kalen DeBoer was a rebirth for the quarterback.
Penix passed for over 4,000 in both years and led the Huskies to the National Championship game against McCarthy’s Wolverines.
Despite his impressive stats, Penix’s knee injuries at Indiana are still a cause for concern among NFL teams.
The anonymous coach confirmed this fact to Feldman.
“The arm talent is there. He’s a gamer…With him, it’s more physically concerning.”
For his part, Penix has tried his best to downplay the injuries, commenting that they are in the past and he spent the past two years playing high-level football with no health issues.
Unfortunately, the months between the end of the college football season and the NFL Draft frequently lead to over-speculation and second-guessing by pro personnel departments.
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