Washington Huskies quarterback Michael Penix Jr. faced uncertainty heading into the pre-draft process, with medicals and age among the factors counting against him. With the 2024 NFL Draft closing in, it appears Penix Jr. fared very well in the process.
Penix Jr. played like a first-round pick in the College Football Playoff Semifinal victory over the Texas Longhorns, posting a 97.7 ESPN QBR with 430 passing yards, 2 touchdowns and a 76.3 percent completion rate. However, in a 34-13 national championship loss to Michigan, he threw 2 interceptions and completed just 52.9 percent of his passes.
- Michael Penix Jr stats (career): 13,741 passing yards, 146.6 QB rating, 96-34 TD-INT, 63.3% completion rate, 8.2 yards per attempt, 265 rushing yards, 13 touchdowns
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He’s already one of the oldest quarterbacks in the 2024 NFL Draft, with his rookie season coming as a 24-year-old. More concerning for interested NFL teams, however, was a college career that included multiple season-ending injuries including a pair of ACL tears.
It made the 2024 NFL Combine a critical part of the evaluation process for the Heisman Trophy runner-up. Teams knew he would ace his interview and with outstanding arm strength, he was expected to fare well in throwing drills. What mattered most, though, was coming out of it with a clean medical screen and that’s exactly what he received leaving Indianapolis.
Related: 2024 NFL Draft quarterback rankings, see where Michael Penix Jr. lands
Latest on Michael Penix Jr draft stock
He then elevated his draft stock even further at Washington’s Pro Day, running a 4.6 40-yard dash with a 36.5-inch vertical jump. He proved to be an even better athlete than expected and it has seemingly had a significant impact on where Penix Jr. will be drafted in 2024.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Penix Jr. is likely going to be a first-round pick and could even push his way into the top half of the NFL Draft on April 25.
“I would say is pretty likely at this point to be a first-round pick, likely to be in the first half of the first round.”
Ian Rapoport on Washington Huskies quarterback Michael Penix Jr (via NFL Total Access)
Multiple NFL teams have been connected to Penix Jr., including the Minnesota Vikings (11th overall pick) and the Las Vegas Raiders (13th overall pick). Notably, the Denver Broncos (12th overall pick) don’t seem to be in on the All-American quarterback.
Penix Jr. has arguably been one of the biggest winners of the pre-draft process as there was true uncertainty in early February regarding whether or not he’d be a first-round pick. Whether his name is called in the first 15 selections or a team like the Raiders moves around to take him in the later 20s, Penix is poised to be a first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft on April 25.
