The Senior Bowl (and practice) is worth watching closely, especially the QBs

[MightyGiants]

Interesting article on Penix Jr in the NY Times this morning. https://theathletic.com/5228052/2024/01/26/michael-penix-nfl-draft-cj-stroud/

Basically saying that some of the first round busts have never faced adversity and when they come into the NFL and do, they crumble. Penix, we know has faced plenty. Good pros and cons by scouts in the article.

I don't know who the agent for Penix is, but he is earning his money.   I have seen a concerted PR campaign to spin Penix's extensive injury history into "Penix has proven he can overcome adversity".   I think that is pretty clever, but the reality is the medicals on Penix will be huge.

[MightyGiants]

I listened to Bill Polian on NFL Radio Late Hits talk about the QB class.  He qualified that it was only day one of practice, but he didn't see any QBs (He thought Pratt impressed) that wowed him to the point that he thought they should go in round one.

[katkavage]

You can't deny the adversity he has faced and deserves credit for his persistence. That being said, his extensive medical history is out there for all to see with nothing hidden. In the article I cited there were plenty of negatives about
Penix listed. It will be up to the NFL teams to evaluate it all and determine if he is worth the risk. No reason to read anything else into any of this or diminish what he has been through.

[MightyGiants]

You can't deny the adversity he has faced and deserves credit for his persistence. That being said, his extensive medical history is out there for all to see with nothing hidden. In the article I cited there were plenty of negatives about
Penix listed. It will be up to the NFL teams to evaluate it all and determine if he is worth the risk. No reason to read anything else into any of this or diminish what he has been through.

I am not ruling Penix out (his medicals at the Combine will be huge).  I was simply noting how his agent has been spinning a negative into a positive.  I first noticed it in the run-up to the College Championship game, where I started to hear the narrative about overcoming adversity. 

Plus, it's not as hard to "overcome adversity" behind PFF's best college pass-blocking line and throwing to the second-best receiving weapons in college football.

[uconnjack8]

I heard something on the radio about Penix medical and how the combine will offer insight.  This person (I think it was a former FO guy) said that he thought a lot of teams will not even have him on their boards.

He is one of the most interesting prospects in recent memory to me.  Given he is a QB and has shown some ability, I could see him going at the end of the 1st round or going undrafted if medical reports are not good.

I assume there is at least 1 team that will take a flyer in a later round.

[katkavage]

I am not ruling Penix out (his medicals at the Combine will be huge).  I was simply noting how his agent has been spinning a negative into a positive.  I first noticed it in the run-up to the College Championship game, where I started to hear the narrative about overcoming adversity. 

Plus, it's not as hard to "overcome adversity" behind PFF's best college pass-blocking line and throwing to the second-best receiving weapons in college football.

Thanks for highlighting that last paragraph. I'm sure the scouts were unaware of it

[MightyGiants]

I heard something on the radio about Penix medical and how the combine will offer insight.  This person (I think it was a former FO guy) said that he thought a lot of teams will not even have him on their boards.

He is one of the most interesting prospects in recent memory to me.  Given he is a QB and has shown some ability, I could see him going at the end of the 1st round or going undrafted if medical reports are not good.

I assume there is at least 1 team that will take a flyer in a later round.

When it comes to the injury issues, there are really two issues

1) how injury-prone is he?  His injury history suggests he is injury-prone

2) have his prior ACL injuries been properly repaired, and are there arthritis issues in the repaired knee(s)?  That is what the Combine will be able to determine.

Now I know many teams simply will take a guy off the board for medicals, while others may lower his grade (for being injury-prone) or will put a medical flag on his grade.  That is assuming they don't find degenerative issues which will end his NFL career prematurely.

[MightyGiants]

https://x.com/nfldraftscout/status/1752721512270885277?s=20

[MightyGiants]

https://x.com/SXMCollege/status/1752734861763227972?s=20

[MightyGiants]

All the negative reports coming out about Bo Nix is disappointing.  I was hoping he would have a great Senior Bowl and become a viable option for NYG at 6 (I am assuming the top 3 are gone).   I mean he could have a miracle turnaround tomorrow and at the game, but that seems unlikely at this point.

I am hearing he is looking like the Bo Nix of Auburn rather than the Bo Nix of Oregon. 

[katkavage]

All the negative reports coming out about Bo Nix is disappointing.  I was hoping he would have a great Senior Bowl and become a viable option for NYG at 6 (I am assuming the top 3 are gone).   I mean he could have a miracle turnaround tomorrow and at the game, but that seems unlikely at this point.

I am hearing he is looking like the Bo Nix of Auburn rather than the Bo Nix of Oregon. 

I would never take Nix at 6.

[MightyGiants]

Which QB is going to step up on Thursday?
Day 2 offered another opportunity for the seven quarterbacks in attendance to improve their draft stock. Unfortunately, it was another uneven day for the passers.



Potential first-rounders Bo Nix (Oregon) and Michael Penix Jr. (Washington) were inconsistent, as mentioned earlier today, and the afternoon portion brought more of the same. South Carolina's Spencer Rattler had a good day but was still plagued by inconsistency in terms of ball placement -- far too often passes were getting away from him and sailing on receivers.



Heading into Day 3, we're waiting for a quarterback to emerge as the top passer of the week. Penix has been the best in individual and team drills, but can that carry over as we see more pressure placed on the pocket in tomorrow's drills? There's a lot hanging in the balance for every passer here. -- Miller

[MightyGiants]

 Oregon quarterback Bo Nix might be the first Senior Bowl prospect to get drafted next April, but he had an underwhelming practice on Wednesday. Nix was exposed to taking snaps from under center and clearly he needs a lot of practice at this fundamental. Nix was bobbling some snaps and double clutching at the ball at times. Nix also had a shotgun snap fumbled away in the team scrimmage. However the struggles from taking snaps under center is really not Nix's fault as he was in shotgun all the time in college. NFL teams don't expect players to know something they haven't been taught and executed in the past, but Nix will need development to work under center at the pro level. The same goes for Michael Penix Jr and the other early round quarterbacks.

From a passing perspective, Nix had some good throws in the one-on-ones and team scrimmage showing accuracy in the short to intermediate part of the field. Some of his downfield throws were under thrown or not thrown quick enough. Washington State cornerback Chau Smith-Wade made nice play to intercept Nix on a downfield throw where Smith-Wade located the ball and undercut the receiver for the pick.

The wind conditions in Mobile provided further evidence that Nix does not have a powerful arm. His arm strength is average, so he and his pro coaching will need to compensate for that. Through two practices, Nix has not been played poorly but he has not been dominating by any means.



 Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. showed a strong arm to cut the ball through the wind with velocity. Penix had some nice throws and then others with poor placement. At the pro level, Penix clearly needs development with his footwork and fundamentals to make him more accurate consistently. Senior Bowl has given proof of that. Penix looks like a day-two prospect that starts out as a backup but has the physical upside to possibly develop into a starter.

https://walterfootball.com/seniorbowl2024practice3.php

[MightyGiants]

https://x.com/tkyles39/status/1752758067140108626?s=20

[MightyGiants]

Here's a good article on a couple of the QBs

https://www.patriots.com/news/senior-bowl-notebook-evaluating-the-quarterbacks-in-mobile-from-a-patriots-perspective