After putting together a legendary two-year run with the Washington Huskies, one NFL insider believes Michael Penix Jr. could end up continuing his football career in the state with the Seattle Seahawks.
We are just a few days away from the 2024 NFL Draft and the speculation about what various teams in Round 1 will do with their picks continues to spread. USC star Caleb Williams is the only lock and is expected to be taken first overall by the Chicago Bears. After that, all bets are off.
Related: 2024 NFL mock draft – Where will Michael Penix Jr. land in Round 1?
- Michael Penix Jr. stats (2023): 4,903 passing yards, 36 TD, 11 INT, 157.1 passer rating
Elite prospects like Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels, JJ McCarthy, and Marvin Harrison Jr. have projections all over the top 10. Then there are players like Michael Penix Jr. who has seen his draft stock rise in recent weeks and could be a top fallback option for teams that miss out on the top three signal callers in this year’s class.
While he is not expected to go in the top 10 there are several teams after the 10th pick that could target the Heisman Trophy candidate in the NFL Draft order. One team Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk believes could have Penix Jr. near the top of their draft board is the Seattle Seahawks.
Mike Florio makes the case for why the Seattle Seahawks could take Michael Penix Jr. in Round 1
It is a bit surprising since the team already has veteran Geno Smith on the roster and made a March trade for former Washington Commanders starter Sam Howell. But on Saturday he made the case for why teams like Seattle, and even Pittsburgh and New Orleans, could be lying in the weeds waiting to pounce on the chance to take Michael Penix Jr.
“In plenty of cases, it’s a non-obvious team that surprises everyone by snatching a player, like the Chiefs did when they moved from No. 27 to No. 10 to get Patrick Mahomes in 2017. The Steelers, who have two veterans under contract for 2025, could decide that Penix is the future. The Saints could make a move to acquire a post-Derek Carr starter.”
– Mike Florio
- Michael Penix Jr. draft projection: He could be drafted anywhere from 10th to 40th overall
Smith is only signed for two more seasons at a reasonable $26 million combined. Howell will make just over $2 million over the next two years after being a fifth-round pick in 2022. So it would not be a major financial risk to use a first-round pick on a player who could be the team’s new franchise QB.
Related: General manager points to Seattle Seahawks making bold move during 2024 NFL Draft