There is growing buzz around Michael Penix Jr. after he wowed at his pro day at the University of Washington last week. Will his momentum – and perhaps his private workout with the Vikings – see him land in Minnesota when the Vikings go on the clock during the April 25-27 NFL Draft?
Minnesota’s future at the QB position remains murky after the departure of Kirk Cousins last month. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is armed with the 11th and 23rd picks in the first round and most believe he will use those picks to move into the top five to select a quarterback.
Trading into the top five might not result in Penix’s name being called, but staying at 11 and 23 or even trading back could lead to such a scenario. That’s exactly what Vikings beat reporter Alec Lewis of The Athletic is thinking in his latest mock draft. Lewis makes the case for Penix if the Vikings are unable to trade up to select Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels or J.J. McCarthy.
Penix’s evaluation is complex. He is a 6-foot-3, 213-pound lefty who throws arguably the best deep ball in the 2024 draft class. In 2023, he led all college quarterbacks in completions of 20 yards or more. Inconsistency plagues Penix at times, especially underneath with touch passes. His anticipation skills and sneaky athletic ability cover up for potential health concerns.
O’Connell has not tipped his hand on his favorite prospects. He prefers QB options who can play in rhythm and on time from the pocket. Penix brings some of these attributes. He is also a leader who could fit seamlessly in the Vikings’ locker room. Some might perceive drafting him at No. 23 as a bit early, but as we stated earlier, this is under the presumption that O’Connell would be identifying Penix as his priority in the event the Vikings cannot trade up.
While many thought the Vikings’ acquisition of a second first-round pick was ammo for a bid to move up, it could place them in a perfect position to draft for need (see: defense) at No. 11 and take their quarterback of the future at No. 23.
“If the Vikings can’t trade up and miss out on the top four, Penix Jr. is a heck of a consolation prize,” Purple Insider’s Matthew Coller told Bring Me The Sports. “He has a ridiculous arm and led college football in passing. He took his team to a place they rarely go in the national championship and he’s a natural born leader. You could see him dropping deep shots to [Justin Jefferson] for a long time”
Penix threw for 9,544 yards, 67 touchdowns and 19 interceptions in two years at Washington.
“I think when you look at his body of work, the way he’s been able to throw the ball in every spot on the field accurately, the leadership abilities he possesses and all of it, I find it difficult to quibble with this guy as a draft pick, a high draft pick,” TSN’s Farhan Lalji said on a recent Purple Insider podcast when discussing Penix Jr.
The two biggest knocks on Penix are his injury history and age. He suffered season-ending injuries in his four seasons in Indiana: two torn ACLs and two shoulder issues. Penix then played two injury-free seasons at Washington and said during the NFL Combine that his medical exams were “good.”
As for his age, Penix turns 24 next month, the same age as Joe Burrow during his rookie season. Green Bay’s Jordan Love was 25 during his first full season as starting quarterback, just like Aaron Rodgers before him, though they each had years on the bench to learn their respective offenses. Kirk Cousins was 24 during his rookie season and didn’t take over as a starter full time until he was 27 years old.
“If you can get a guy a second contract, you’ve done something right as a scouting department. For Michael Penix, that’ll happen when he’s 28, which still doesn’t make you too old because quarterbacks are playing even longer,” said Lalji.
