2024 NFL Draft Profile: Quarterback Michael Penix Jr., Washington

Michael Penix Jr.

Position: Quarterback

School: Washington 

Play Style: Pocket Passer

Age: 23

DOB: 5/8/2000

Height: 6'2

Weight: 216 lbs

40-Time: 4.57

FantasySP Position Ranking: 4

Round Projected: First 

NFL Comp: Tua Tagovailoa

Summary

Penix is very impressive on film. It's evident that he is an intelligent quarterback who can control the game before and after the snap. He has both a big arm and the ability to loft a ball in there with elite touch passes. In 2024, he stepped up in the biggest moments showing off impressive intangibles which earned him the honor of being a Heisman Trophy Finalist.

While he does have some things that he needs to improve as a quarterback, the biggest concern surrounding Penix is his extensive injury history and the fact that he will be 24 years old as a rookie. During his college career, he suffered four season-ending injuries, including two torn ACLs and two shoulder injuries. An injury history like that is impossible to overlook. Nevertheless, he will still be a first-round pick and has a shot to be a very good NFL quarterback. 

Strengths

- Excellent pre-snap at reading where pressure is coming from

- Strong arm with NFL-caliber velocity on his passes

- Has shown a rare ability to read and pick apart defenses by exploiting matchups 

- Great at moving around in the pocket and avoiding pressure

- He has massive hands to handle and control the ball

- Can drop a touch pass in with the best of them

- He is a field general and leader

Weaknesses

- Major durability concerns due to his extensive injury history which ended four seasons of his college career, including two torn ACLs and two shoulder injuries

- He will be 24 years old as a rookie

- At times can be inaccurate 

- Doesn't always lead his wide receivers and forces them to slow down or come back for the ball

- Struggles to make plays outside of the pocket

Our Take

There are definitely valid concerns when it comes to Penix but the good outweighs the bad by a significant margin. We have him ranked as the QB4 in this class, but he could have easily been ranked as the QB3.

He's a much better quarterback than Drake Maye, however, Maye has superhuman upside thanks to his physical traits. It isn't a reach to take Penix with a top-10 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. His arm talent combined with his understanding of the game and ability to diagnose defenses before and after the snap will make him at worst a solid NFL quarterback.