In an unexpected move, the New England Patriots are hosting Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and that has trade rumors stirring.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapport reported that Penix is having dinner with Patriots officials and coaches on Monday followed by a Top 30 visit Tuesday. NESN’s Zack Cox reported that it’s “notable” because there “hasn’t been much connecting the Patriots to Penix during the pre-draft process” this year, and Cox isn’t alone in his observation.
“Couldn’t imagine the #Patriots going through this process without any real interaction with Penix,” Evan Lazar of Patriots.com wrote. “Even if it ends with them taking another QB at No. 3, he should be in the conversation as a possible scenario after a trade down.”
NBC Sports Boston’s Tom Curran also views a Patriots trade down to take Penix as an option. It opens the door to aiding the overall rebuild.
“So Penix to me, if you end up trading down and getting Michael Penix and having artillery to fill wide receiver, offensive tackle, cornerback, edge, all those places or most of them, that’s awesome. That’s great,” Curran said on Monday.
Patriots Have Options Galore for QB in Draft
New England holds the No. 3 pick in the draft and could land either LSU’s Jayden Daniels or North Carolina’s Drake Maye. That pick has been a source of trade rumors with quarterback-needy teams such as the Minnesota Vikings or Denver Broncos.
“In many ways, the Patriots should not be able to go wrong in this draft,” Curran said. “They could screw it up after the player gets here, but the player they select is going to be worthy of being an NFL starting quarterback.”
If the Patriots trade down, the team could select Penix and address the many roster holes that led to a 4-13 season in 2023. The Athletic’s Chad Graff outlined those and another four positions of need on Monday.
Quarterback is just one of the holes after the team traded away Mac Jones following a second-straight subpar season. Other needs include wide receiver, offensive tackle, cornerback, tight end, and interior linemen on both sides of the ball. Others include running back, safety, linebacker, and edge rusher.
Michael Penix Brings Experience & Intangibles to the Table
If New England lands Penix, the team will get an experienced and talented passer. Penix threw for 13,741 yards and 96 touchdowns versus 34 interceptions in six college seasons. He completed 63.3% of his passes and had a 146.6 passer rating.
“He comes with a variety of concerns,” NBC Sports Boston’s Phil Perry said on Monday. “He is off the charts in terms of the intangibles stuff. Though, he’s been through a lot personally, he’s dealt with two season-ending knee injuries, two season-ending shoulder surgeries.”
“So all kinds of grit there and he’s played some really high-level football the last couple of years, but there’s a lot that makes him a second-round prospect as opposed to a high first-round prospect like some of these other guys,” Perry added.
Penix’s perseverance could make him a culture fit for the Patriots as Curran sees it.
“When Jerod Mayo and Eliot Wolf discussed all the quarterback prospects, they talked about the toughness and it’s absolutely indispensable to have physical and mental resilience when they get here,” Curran said.
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