Former NFL general manager and current ESPN contributor Mike Tannenbaum shared his input on all 32 teams in his first round 2022 mock draft. With the re-signing of Jameis Winston, NFL writers have stopped taking quarterbacks as often and there are now a larger variety of selections for the New Orleans Saints. As for Tannenbaum, he had the Saints addressing the loss of Terron Armstead and lists tackle Trevor Penning out of Northern Iowa as their ideal fit, writing:
“Penning is a perfect fit to replace Terron Armstead, who signed with Miami. He’s tough and physical at the line of scrimmage, and he’d keep the offensive line as one of the Saints’ strengths. Penning turned in a fantastic combine workout, which included the fifth-fastest 10-yard split in the 40-yard dash among linemen (1.65), despite weighing in at 325 pounds.”
I have seen Penning in person at the Senior Bowl, and can attest that he carries himself the way you would want a franchise tackle to carry himself. He is a bully on the field, never out there to make friends. His effort levels were high all week and was really, really impressive to me. He passed the visual test of a star NFL lineman, for sure.
Even after Senior Bowl week, he has continued to have a great pre-draft process. Penning posted an elite 9.96 Relative Athletic Score from his combine performance, which would be a top-10 all time score at the position. His athleticism translates to his on-field performance.
His small school status shouldn’t scare you, as Spencer Brown came into the NFL from Northern Iowa last season and had solid performances as a rookie. UNI is starting to consistently put out linemen who are not just crazy athletic, but prospects that are ready for the league. Penning would be able to come in and play from Day 1, which is important for this draft.
Some people may want to attack wide receiver early on, which is understandable, but the receiver class is much deeper than the tackle class in my opinion. If the Saints feel like they can’t go into the season with James Hurst as a starter, I feel like it would be smart for them to address it as early as possible in the draft. That could mean selecting a player like Penning if they have the opportunity.
