Following a great victory over the Texas Longhorns in the CFP Semifinal, Washington Huskies quarterback Michael Penix Jr. was projected to be a top-10 choice in the 2024 NFL Draft. Months later, Penix Jr. might be taken considerably later.
While the Heisman Trophy candidate is coming off two stellar seasons, NFL organizations are concerned about him. He’ll be 24 years old in May, and with a history of season-ending injuries, there are questions about the left-handed quarterback’s durability.
Penix also struggled terribly against the Michigan Wolverines in the national championship game, making several stupid decisions and throwing awful passes against the closest thing to an NFL-caliber defense in college football. As clubs begin to evaluate the 2024 NFL Draft’s quarterback class, one new name has the potential to surpass the Huskies’ reputation.
Michael Pratt numbers for 2023: 2,406 passing yards, 22-5 TD-INT, 158.9 QB rating, 8.5 yards per attempt, 65.4% completion rate, 229 rushing yards, 8 rushing touchdowns
“The AAC Offensive Player of the Year maintains a clean setup and uses a rapid, precise stroke to stack the football between tiers of defense. He lacks the high-level athletic qualities required to run an NFL offense, but he also plays with confidence and knows where the ball is going. I don’t see a substantial difference between what Pratt and Kenny Pickett provide in the NFL.”
The name of Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett is especially intriguing. While Pickett hasn’t worked out for Pittsburgh so far in his career, he’s a good illustration of how only one club may be bullish on a certain quarterback. While most NFL teams did not consider Pickett a first-round prospect, the Steelers did, and some organizations will rank Pratt better than Penix Jr.
As a four-year starter at Tulane, Pratt improved his completion rate each season and finished with 158-plus QB ratings in each of his final two seasons, totaling 90 passing touchdowns and 28 rushing touchdowns in four seasons.
Pratt might be an intriguing Day 2 option for NFL teams such as the Las Vegas Raiders and Atlanta Falcons, allowing him to compete for the starting job as a rookie. While he may not have a high ceiling, Pratt’s floor, durability, and tools are all intriguing to clubs.
