Washington Huskies quarterback Michael Penix Jr. made headlines a couple of weeks ago when he announced that he’d be returning for another year in Seattle. It’s an interesting decision, for sure. On one hand, if he can convince more of that roster to stick around for one more go at it, the Huskies could be dark horse College Football Playoff contenders given the momentum they had down the stretch in 2022 in a Pac-12 that was much better than folks gave it credit for. He was mentioned in the Heisman race this season, a season during which he led the FBS in passing yards 4,354. So, sure – the stars are aligned for a special 2023 at Washington.
But, the flip side of that coin is a career in the NFL. After a prolific 2022 campaign, I was starting to see Penix’s name pop up in the first round of mock drafts (yes, I start reading mock drafts in November). Most scouts I read had him listed as a fringe first rounder – he wasn’t going to overtake Bryce Young, CJ Stroud, or a guy that I guess is going to be soaring up draft boards this spring, Will Levis. But, he made a pretty compelling case for himself as that 4th or 5th guy in the quarterback class. That’s what makes this such an interesting decision. Yes, he could have a historic season and maybe that ends up improving his draft stock. But, if things don’t go according to plan, will he have sacrificed a first round position? It’s fascinating – at least to Washington fans and NFL Draft nerds like myself.
We have quite the sample size of Penix to study dating back to his time with the Indiana Hoosiers, and there are some concerns about his injury history. He’s torn an ACL twice (2018, 2020), and he’s missed time in 2019 and 2021. That ain’t exactly inspiring if you’re a team looking for the cornerstone of your franchise for the next 15 years. I get it – that’s probably the biggest question mark surrounding Penix. But, I have a couple more.
While his run with Washington truly highlighted his NFL potential, he played with one hell of a receiving corps featuring a few guys that will be playing on Sundays too. Penix benefitted not only from having that talent around him, but also by playing in an aggressive pass-happy offense that knew exactly how to make defenses that played zone against them pay. He threw from some clean ass pockets too. To me, it’s fair to pair the system with the injury history and wonder if Penix can be a franchise quarterback. But, I also think it’s fair to just pop on the 2022 tape and say he certainly has the talent to.
Penix throws a beautiful ball. With a lot of mouths to feed in that Huskies offense, or maybe more aptly, a myriad of weapons to hit, Penix demonstrated an ability to go through his progressions in real time, process information, and hit open guys. He looks off coverage. He’s dynamic with his legs. And, he’s an accurate deep ball thrower.
I saw him mocked to the New York Giants, and that may be an ideal spot for him to land. We don’t know how Brian Daboll and company feel about Daniel Jones long term, but it’s a scenario where Penix could realistically push for a starting job without being counted on to save a franchise. His best chance at success would be with an aggressive offensive minded coach – I think about how he’d thrive in an offense kind of like the Cincinnati Bengals (though they’re obviously not looking for a franchise quarterback). My point here being there’s definitely a path to the NFL for Penix, assuming he continues on this trajectory through the 2023 season at Washington. Whether he actually becomes a franchise quarterback or not, Penix has the talent to unquestionably get a shot at it in the NFL. Now, enjoy this tight-window NFL throw from the Oregon game.
OH MY THE HUSKIES ARE BACK
— The Transfer Portal CFB (@TPortalCFB) November 13, 2022
Michael Penix Jr. with the HUGE ANSWER!
Washington and Oregon are trading MASSIVE PUNCHES pic.twitter.com/2NTJLrSywj
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley.
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