Michael Penix Jr. is one of the most interesting and overlooked QBs to turn up in the draft this season. With a unique throwing hand and having finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting (292 first votes), the Washington player has been flying under the radar amidst the Caleb Williams – Jayden Daniels – Drake Maye hype. With free agency trades giving clarity to teams, they now know who to target in the draft next month. Safe to say, Michael Penix Jr. has quite a lot of suitors.
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The spotlight hence has been on him. However, he got some extra light on him when he revealed his polarising list of Top 5 NFL QBs currently. Speaking to CBS Sports at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Penix JR. named Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, Brock Purdy, Justin Herbert, and Joe Burrow as his top 5 NFL QBs currently (in no order). While fans didn’t have many issues with Mahomes, Lamar, and Burrow, Brock Purdy’s inclusion is where they drew the line.
However, he had a reason to include Purdy. As per the Washington player, Purdy’s inclusion was mainly because he was able to execute his throws efficiently amidst all the hate and criticism he got from his fans.
“I’m going to put Brock Purdy in there, just because [of] the things he was able to do. A lot of people doubted him, you know? And even in the championship game, I feel like he felt real confident, made big-time throws. They always say it’s the guys around him, but man, he’s still got to get them the ball. So put him up there.”
While Penix Jr’s list got polarising reactions, his prospects in the draft next month are looking promising with a host of teams interested in securing his services.
Will The LA Rams Land Michael Penix Jr. This Draft?
Michael Penix Jr. is one of the best vertical passers and ball shielders currently. His ability to maintain structure and discipline in passing helped Washington back to the National Championship last season. He also shined at the NFL Combine with his monster-sized hand for a QB making waves across the NFL — moreover, the Huskies and the collegiate circuit rate his leadership skills highly too.
With these qualities, it’s no surprise that Penix Jr. is wanted by teams across the NFL. Considering his playstyle and his likeliness to maintain and play in structures, Miami Dolphins seems like an ideal destination for him as Tua’s backup. However, NFL Insider Jordan Schultz in his recent appearance at the Pat McAfee Show revealed that apart from Seattle and Atalanta, the team to watch out for Michael would be the LA Rams.
“I think these three or four teams to watch out for Penix would be Seattle, Atlanta, potentially a sleeper would be the Rams.”
As per Schultz, the Rams view Penix Jr. as a backup to the aging Matthew Stafford and believe in Penix’s qualities to be their next franchise QB. However, Penix Jr. to Rams also comes with a downside. Unlike Stafford, Michael isn’t the best of talents to invent and execute plays on his own. He works very well in systems.
But outside that, he doesn’t have the best of lower-body attributes to run the game himself. Nonetheless, he has shown enough promise and personality in his college career to grow and develop finely till Stafford’s retirement. It will be interesting to see where Penix Jr. ends up at the end of next month.
