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The Atlanta Falcons selected Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft on Thursday night. This is the first real surprise of this year's draft after the Falcons signed quarterback Kirk Cousins this offseason. Injuries are the main concern for Penix, but besides that, he showed plenty of long-term upside in his two seasons with the Huskies, culminating in a national championship appearance earlier this year. The 23-year-old lefty will obviously enter his first season in the NFL as a clear backup in Atlanta, but this pick will give the Falcons insurance with Cousins returning from a torn Achilles in 2023. This selection will be debated for a while, especially given all of Atlanta's needs on defense.
Apr 25, 2024 9:10 PM EST
The Las Vegas Raiders are thought to be high on Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr., and if the QB market starts drying up quickly in the first round of Thursday night's NFL draft and they feel the need to trade up in order to avoid being shut out, the Los Angeles Chargers at No. 5 and the Tennessee Titans at No. 7 are two teams that people think are willing to trade down. The Raiders would love to be able to get up high enough to take LSU's Jayden Daniels to reunite him with head coach Antonio Pierce, but they know they might not be able to do that. The Raiders have talked with the Arizona Cardinals about what it would take to trade up to No. 4, but Vegas' interest in that pick would likely cool off significantly if Daniels is among the top three picks, as expected.
Apr 24, 2024 9:06 PM EST
University of Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. has seemingly been rising draft boards this offseason, and NFL insider Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports that he could enter the discussion to be one of the first four quarterbacks off the board. "It's been assumed the top four QBs are Williams, Daniels, Maye, and McCarthy," Russini wrote "But don't be surprised if Penix enters the discussion come Thursday." Penix, who will be 24 years old during his rookie season, had a monster two-year stretch with Washington after four injury-riddled campaigns at Indiana. In 2022 and 2023, combined, the lefty posted 9,544 passing yards, 67 passing touchdowns, and 67 interceptions. He ran between a 4.51 and 4.57 forty-yard dash at the Huskies' Pro Day, so his 226 career rushing yards might not demonstrate his full rushing ability.
Apr 24, 2024 4:29 PM EST
Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. is scheduled to have dinner with the New England Patriots' brass and coaching staff on Monday night in Foxboro and has a top-30 visit with the team on Tuesday, according to sources. With the No. 3 overall pick in the upcoming NFL draft, the Patriots are looking at all of this year's top quarterbacks not named Caleb Williams, who is expected to be taken first overall by the Chicago Bears. The Washington Commanders are also in the market for a signal-caller and have the second overall pick. If the Commanders and Patriots don't trade back in the first round, the expectation is that QBs will be taken with at least the first three picks in this year's draft. Although Penix's draft stock has risen since his pro day, it would still be a surprise if New England didn't come away with either LSU's Jayden Daniels or North Carolina's Drake Maye with the third overall pick.
Apr 15, 2024 9:05 PM EST
Washington quarterback Michael Penix has been a rising draft prospect since his pro day, and scouts believe in his elite arm talent. The Athletic's Dane Brugler projects the Las Vegas Raiders taking Penix at 13th overall in the first round of this year's NFL draft as an upgrade over both Gardner Minshew and Aidan O'Connell. Penix's health is a polarizing subject in draft circles -- he had four season-ending injuries at Indiana -- but he was healthy for the Huskies and got positive medical evaluations at the scouting combine. "His arm talent is as good as I've ever seen. He can throw every single ball on a rope. I just wanted to blitz him. I felt like he didn't handle pressure as some others. We lived and died by the blitz, but he got his yards," one coach said.
Apr 5, 2024 2:22 PM EST
Washington quarterback Michael Penix has a top-30 visit with the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday, according to a source. The Raiders currently hold the 13th overall pick in the upcoming NFL draft and are looking to upgrade at the position through the draft over second-year signal-caller Aidan O'Connell. The Minnesota Vikings flew out their whole staff for a private workout with Penix in Seattle as well, including head coach Kevin O'Connell and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. Penix's impressive pro day has made him a candidate to sneak into the first 10 picks of this year's draft. In addition to the Vikings and Raiders, the New York Giants, who want some insurance for Daniel Jones (knee), are scheduled to meet with Penix.
Apr 4, 2024 2:10 PM EST
Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. had dinner with the New York Giants in Seattle after his pro day and then had a private workout with the Minnesota Vikings in Seattle, according to sources. According to multiple sources, Penix will have top-30 official visits with the Denver Broncos, Atlanta Falcons, Las Vegas Raiders and Washington Commanders. The 23-year-old signal-called could sneak into the first round in April's NFL draft after impressing with a sub-4.6-second 40-yard dash during his pro day last week. Penix didn't run much in college after suffering two torn ACLs, but the fact that he still has game-changing speed will make him more attractive to NFL clubs. Injury concerns aside, Penix has become more interesting for teams that lose out on the top tier of QBs in this year's draft.
Apr 1, 2024 9:10 PM EST
Washington quarterback Michael Penix appears to have impressed during his recent pro day. The young signal-caller ran a 4.5 40-yard dash and posted a 36.5-inch vertical leap at Washington's pro day. After that, an unknown NFL coach has reportedly called Penix a locked in first round pick. Everyone should take this with a grain of salt because we don't know who the coach was who said this. However, the five-year prospect has looked impressive, so this isn't a crazy take. Currently, Penix is viewed more as a Day 2 prospect, but it wouldn't be shocking if he does sneak into the late first round after a strong showing on Thursday.
Mar 28, 2024 8:51 PM EST
Washington quarterback Michael Penix said on Friday at the NFL scouting combine that he thinks he's put questions about his health behind him and he's ready to be somebody's franchise signal-caller. Penix believes his medical exams for all 32 NFL teams went smoothly and he's ready to throw for those in attendance in Indianapolis. ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. has Penix rated as the fifth QB in this year's draft. In his four seasons at Indiana before transferring to Washington, he tore his right ACL twice and had injuries to both shoulders. He missed 25 of his possible 51 games for the Hoosiers. But Penix threw for 4,641 yards and 4,903 yards, respectively, in his two seasons with the Huskies, including 67 total TDs. The 23-year-old lefty QB didn't miss any time at Washington, but he'll nevertheless be a risk/reward NFL prospect in April's draft.
Mar 1, 2024 3:04 PM EST
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