Caleb Williams is the subject of all the hype and Drake Maye is the most divisive.
But there is one college quarterback who could end up having the best career of any NFL Draft prospect.
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Michael Penix Jr. spent four seasons at Indiana before a two-year run with Washington propelled the Huskies to the College Football Playoff championship against Michigan.
Although he had injury issues in college and is on the cusp of becoming a 24-year-old NFL rookie, Penix’s arm and overall athleticism could allow him to stand out in the pros.
“If you told me that in his rookie season, Michael Penix would be as good as anyone in this draft class, just in terms of pure ability and ability to throw the football, I wouldn’t be shocked by that because that he can really, really deliver the ball,” NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah exclusively told talkSPORT.
The Atlanta Falcons stunned NFL fans everywhere by taking Penix at No. 8, although they recently gave veteran QB Kirk Cousins a massive $180 million contract, including $100 million guaranteed.
Penix totaled 13,741 passing yards and 96 touchdowns in college while playing in 49 games.
Last season, he was one of the best QBs in the sport and guided Washington to a 14-1 record.
His experience could be a big positive in the pros.
But it is also clear that his six years of amateur career count against him in the eyes of certain teams.
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Penix suffered from ACL and shoulder injuries early in his college career.
He then flourished in Washington, winning the Maxwell Award as the nation’s top player and being named a finalist for the Heisman Trophy, while leading the division with 4,903 passing yards.
“I think with him it’s sustainability more than anything else,” Jeremiah said. “He’s been able to stay healthy the last few years, which is great to see.
“But you have a situation where he’s had a few shoulder injuries, he’s had a few knee injuries, he’s a little bit older – you take all those things into account in his evaluation, which to me is the reason for which he slips behind some of these guys.
Williams was touted as a franchise QB for Chicago, Jayden Daniels won the last Heisman and JJ McCarthy beat Penix for the national title.
But Jeremiah thinks what if Penix could outshine all the other rookie QBs.
“I think he’s really talented,” Jeremiah said. “He has a big arm, a live arm.”
The NFL Draft just keeps getting bigger and bigger – and so do the crowds.
What once happened in a hotel room with names written on a chalkboard has become a massive three-day event televised on multiple networks at once.
More than 275,000 fans attended the first round Thursday in downtown Detroit, watching Williams go No. 1 overall to the Chicago Bears.
The huge crowd set an NFL Draft record, breaking the 200,000-person mark set on opening day in 2019 by Nashville, Tennessee.
