The 2024 NFL Draft appears to be a relatively deep one in terms of quarterback prospects, and one that has especially gotten the attention of former Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians is Washington product Michael Penix Jr.
Via the Tampa Bay Times (h/t SteelersNow)
“As far as the football grade, I love (Penix) because he does things I love to do,” Arians said “He puts (the ball) up the field. He’s as accurate on throws up the field as anyone I’ve seen in 15 years Just to fight through that last game after he had that ankle tore up. But what he did to Texas was unbelievable.”
Arians, who steered the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a Super Bowl win in 2020 over Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, had good words to say about Penix even though the Huskies lost to the Michigan Wolverines in last January’s College Football Playoff National Championship Game, 34-13. For Arians, what he saw from Penix in the game before that was enough to view the young gunslinger in a positive light.
In that CFP semifinal game at the Sugar Bowl versus the Texas Longhorns, Penix passed for 430 yards and two touchdowns with zero interceptions on 29/38 completions. It was a performance that boosted the NFL stock at the time of Penix before he cooled down in the Michigan game wherein he went just 27/51 for 255 passing yards and a touchdown and two interceptions.
Should The Tampa Bay Buccaneers Draft Michael Penix Jr?
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers own the No. 26 pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, but perhaps if they think about drafting a quarterback, they probably should sort things out on the Baker Mayfield front. Mayfield, who revived his NFL career with a strong 2023 campaign with the Bucs, could be a free agent or could run it back with Tampa Bay with a new contract. The Buccaneers could also re-sign Mayfield and draft Penix.
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