The 2024 NFL Draft officially begins on Thursday and it’s expected to be a QB-heavy first round. There are six possible signal-callers that could go in the top 32 picks and one of them is Washington Huskies standout Michael Penix Jr. After an impressive career in Seattle where he led the program to a national championship appearance this past season, Mel Kiper Jr had a bold prediction for Penix Jr ahead of the first round.
Via ESPN:
“Michael Penix Jr. won’t fall past No. 13: The Washington quarterback is liked by several teams with picks in the teens, but I don’t think he’ll last past the Raiders at No. 13. That’s a little rich for my tastes — he finished No. 24 on my Big Board — but there are several teams looking for their quarterback of the future in this class, and his accuracy, experience and moxie make him appealing.”
I’m sure the Raiders would love to get Penix at No. 13. Right now, Aidan O’Connell is QB1, while Gardner Minshew was signed this offseason as his likely backup. But, there’s no question Las Vegas needs a building block at the QB position and Penix Jr could be just that.
Michael Penix Jr is the full package
Penix Jr began his college career at Indiana, spending four years there before heading to Washington. Boy, was that a phenomenal decision. The Florida native threw for nearly 10,000 yards and 67 touchdowns against just 19 interceptions across two seasons as the Huskies’ QB1. He also had a 65.4 completion percentage.
Penix led the nation in passing yards in 2023 and is clearly a proven winner, taking Washington to the doorstep of the Promised Land. While there are concerns about his injury history, it’s clear Penix Jr is a very talented quarterback with experience, poise, and one hell of an arm.
Does he fit for the Raiders?
The Jimmy Garoppolo experiment was a nightmare. It’s time for the Raiders to start fresh with a young cornerstone at quarterback. While Penix Jr may not be available at No. 13, if he is, it should be a no-brainer decision. He’d have weapons at his disposal from day one in Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers.
There’s also reportedly mutual interest between the Raiders and Jayden Daniels, the reigning Heisman winner out of LSU. However, he’s expected to go No. 2 to the Washington Commanders. Las Vegas would need to pull off a wild draft day trade to get him. Antonio Pierce was Daniels’ assistant coach at Arizona State, so there’s a bit of a connection.
Michael Penix Jr penned a heartfelt letter to all the NFL GMs a few days ago and spoke on how he believes his injuries have shaped him into the player he is today. One that is ready for the big moment to be the face of a franchise. Whether that’s for the Raiders or another organization remains to be seen, but the youngster is evidently ready for the jump to the next level.
His dreams will become a reality on Thursday night in Detroit. The draft begins at 8 PM ET.
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