Just because Michael Penix Jr. lost the national title game with Washington against Michigan doesn’t mean his 2024 NFL Draft stock has completely dropped.
In our latest NFL mock from Christian D’Andrea, Penix Jr. gets scooped up by the Pittsburgh Steelers at pick No. 23. But will he be in the draft for that long? In the new mock from NBC Sports, Penix gets taken at No. 11 by the Minnesota Vikings, which makes sense for a team that needs a QB of the future. In this mock, three quarterbacks — Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels — are off the board.
Here’s the reasoning with Penix:
The College Football Playoff was a rollercoaster for Penix Jr., who looked like the best quarterback in the country against Texas and then came back down to earth against Michigan.
More importantly, he put out two years of great tape in the Huskies offense. His arm challenges every layer of the field and specifically outside the numbers. For a player viewed as a late Day 2, early Day 3 pick before the season, I’ve heard a ton of buzz about him over the last two months indicating he’s on the rise in this draft.
There you have it. Make sure to check out Christian D’Andrea’s latest NFL mock draft!