By: Michael Higgins

Background: Michael Penix Jr is a quarterback who really benefited from a change of scenery and has come into his own as of late. Penix is originally from Tampa, Florida and attended Tampa Tech High School. He was often overlooked in terms of recruiting throughout high school and was the 36th ranked pro-style QB in his graduating class. Penix was a late bloomer as a high school quarterback prospect as he was only a starter for two seasons. In those two seasons as a starter, Penix threw for 61 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. Penix originally committed to Tennessee out of high school, but decommitted later that year and flipped to Indiana.

College: Penix spent 2018-2021 at Indiana and started in 17 games for the Hoosiers, going 12-5. A combination of an early redshirt year, the pandemic, and a season-ending injury limited the amount of games he played in his tenure and is the reason for his extended college career. After his time at Indiana fizzled out, Penix transferred to Washington and burst onto the scene. His talent was obvious at Indiana, but Washington Offensive Coordinator Ryan Grubb really got the most out of him. He won Comeback Player of the Year and was All-Pac 12 Second Team.

Strengths: Michael Penix Jr is a dangerous pocket passer who has incredible poise and footwork within the pocket. Some could classify Penix as a dual-threat quarterback with the ability to hurt defenses with his legs, but he is at his best when he is zipping passes past the defense within structure. He has an incredible ability to process what he is seeing and make the right read. He is a big body with unmatched arm strength. He can truly get the ball anywhere on the field. He is a left-handed quarterback who can make throws on the run and across his body at times. He has a great frame to play quarterback at the next level and there are no questions about his ability to take a hit or being difficult to bring down. One of Penix’s best traits is his ability to hit his receivers in stride. He gets the ball to his receiver on a rope in a position where they do not have to break stride to come down with the football.

Weaknesses: One of the biggest downsides to Michael Penix Jr. and his draft stock is the injuries Penix had three season-ending injuries while he was the quarterback at Indiana. These recurring injuries lead to thoughts of both reinjury and the fact that he is more susceptible to injuries overall. Penix also has unorthodox throwing mechanics in both the upper and lower half of his body. He has an inconsistent wind up that leads to sporadic throws at times. His accuracy is also something to monitor, which is made inconsistent due to his poor throwing mechanics. A good amount of his incompletions are because of Penix overthrowing his intended receiver. Many of these overthrown balls end in completions because his receivers can go up and snag the football with the best cornerbacks in the country, but oftentimes they end in bad incompletions and costly turnovers.

Scheme Fit: Shanahan Style Offense

Ideal Role: Developmental Starter

Best Team Fits: NYJ, LVR, DEN

Player Comparison: Derek Carr

Player Grade: 82.4