NFL GM: Michael Penix Jr. Needs 'a Lot of Work to Be Done' to Be 1st-Round Draft QB

Participating in Senior Bowl workouts brought little clarity to the 2024 NFL draft outlook for Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr., according to ESPN's Jeff Legwold.

Legwold referenced Penix's injury history, which raises fears that can't be fully assuaged through on-field drills. He spoke to a general manager from an NFC team who remains lukewarm on the southpaw.

"If he clears the medicals, or a team's doctors don't have concerns, I could see a team like that coming back into the first round or something," the GM said. "But for me, again, there's a lot of work to be done."

Penix couldn't have done much more to impress NFL scouts in his two years at Washington. He threw for 9,544 yards and 67 touchdowns, and he continually rose to the occasion as the Huskies advanced to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. Their 34-13 loss to Michigan was less an indictment of their starting quarterback and reflected more how the Wolverines were simply a better team.

The past injuries do Penix no favors, though, and age might be a consideration for some teams. He'll turn 24 in May, putting him on the older end of the scale for an incoming rookie.

The positional value of quarterbacks means Penix may nonetheless be a Day 1 selection despite not being universally considered a first-round talent. He's the No. 73 overall player and fifth-best quarterback on Bleacher Report's big board but was pegged to land at the No. 12 pick to the Denver Broncos in B/R's mock.