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Broncos Given New Angle to Consider on QB Michael Penix Jr. by NFL.com
The Denver Broncos had best tread carefully when deciding what to do at pick 12 because Michael Penix Jr. might not last beyond the Las Vegas Raiders.
NFL Network's Bucky Brooks has chimed in on the potential ceiling/floor of potential Denver Broncos quarterback target Michael Penix Jr. What Brooks has proposed might shock Broncos Country.
Brooks believes Penix has a ceiling only as high as the No. 13 overall pick. That selection currently belongs to the Las Vegas Raiders. Brooks writes:
- Draft ceiling: 13) Las Vegas Raiders
- Draft floor: 43) Atlanta Falcons
"The deep-ball specialist has superb arm talent and instincts as a pocket passer. Penix carves up coverage with surgical precision, displaying pinpoint accuracy and ball placement on vertical throws. With Penix's highlight reel loaded with bombs flying over the defense, teams looking for a gunslinger with an attack mentality will place the Washington standout near the top of the board.
"Despite his spectacular flashes, Penix is downgraded due to his extensive injury history (four season-ending injuries at Indiana, before he transferred to Washington) and somewhat-limited system fit (doesn't shine as a middle-of-the-field, timing-based passer). There is some question as to whether his video-game numbers were more a product of Kalen DeBoer's dynamic college offense than a reflection of elite ability."
Penix garners a glowing overview from Brooks, especially for a player who might fall to Day 2 of the NFL draft. Indeed, Penix was left off the NFL's 15-man list of draft prospects to be invited to Detroit. Perhaps the silver lining is that his invitation snub will avoid any potential embarrassment if he plummets into Round 2.
As far as Sean Payton and the Broncos are concerned, it's not so much Penix's ability to throw the deep ball, which will be the main draw. Accuracy over the middle is perhaps a flaw in the 23-year-old's overall game, but in general terms, Brooks was very high on Penix's pin-point precision arm.
The succession of injuries that blighted the early part of Penix's collegiate career will continue to raise red flags. But he has aced his medical examinations during the pre-draft process, and that's all he can really do at this juncture.
Summarily dismissing Penix's prolific career Kalen DeBoer's expensive offensive system at Washington would also be pretty foolish. Penix excelled in a system that trusted him to make all the right decisions, and that suggests there's a lot more to come once he hits the pro ranks.
One glaring admission in Brooks' overt reasons not to draft Penix was his left-handedness. Everyone in football has their own specific take on why southpaws have been so rare in the NFL through the years.
Brooks was savvy enough to avoid stoking any such cheap controversy. Should Brooks ultimately be proven correct, and somehow Penix finds his draft floor at pick No. 43, it would send shockwaves right through Round 2 of the draft.
It would probably see the Broncos desperately scramble to trade back into Round 2 to get a shot at drafting the talented young signal-caller, unless, of course, they'd already drafted their franchise quarterback of the future at pick 12. Bo Nix, anyone?
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