NFL Draft 2024: Former Heisman Winner Favors Michael Penix Jr. Over JJ McCarthy and Drake Maye

The 2024 NFL Draft is nearly here, and many opinions continually emerge about who the potential first-round quarterback picks are. It’s almost like it’s written in stone that the Chicago Bears will select USC Trojans’ QB Caleb Williams as the No. 1 overall pick. So, who could be the next in line as the No. 2 QB off the board? 

Widespread projections hold that Jayden Daniels, JJ McCarthy, and Drake Maye are the next QBs in line after Williams. But that’s not how former Texas A&M Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel sees it. In addition to his take on the Washington Huskies QB, he believes Michael Penix Jr is the favorite to win the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year Award.

Johnny Manziel thinks Michael Penix Jr. should be the No. 2 QB off the board 

Perhaps not everyone would have the same opinions on Michael Penix Jr., but Johnny Manziel believes he’s a worthy No. 2 QB entering the 2024 NFL Draft. According to what he posted about the Heisman Trophy runner-up on his IG post on April 20, “He’s got the best arm talent in this entire draft of quarterbacks… People are going to harp a lot on what happened at the National Championship game… If you really break down the National Championship game for him… They were off by just half a step on every single thing… Those days happen… I am so high and couldn’t be higher on Michael Penix Jr.”

Johnny Manziel’s support for Penix Jr. isn’t without validation. The 23-year-old had an impressive season in Washington and was even voted as a Heisman Trophy contender, throwing for 4,903 yards and 36 touchdowns. Despite losing the National Championship to the Michigan Wolverines 34-13, he led the Huskies to a remarkable undefeated season in 2023 and clinched the Pac-12 Championship by taking down the Texas Longhorns 37-31 in the CFP semifinal. But coming to the draft, why do most of the opinions push him behind as a second-round pick or a late first-round pick?

Michael Penix Jr. is a ‘polarizing’ QB prospect

In the words of NFL insider Tom Pelissero on The Rich Eisen Show, “Michael Penix might be the most polarizing quarterback prospect.” While some hold him as high as a No. 2 pick, some see him as a second-round pick. Pelissero addressed the dilemma, saying, “With Micheal Penix, he’s unbelievable when he’s playing on time, when it’s a clean pocket and he’s in rhythm… The concern with Penix is when it’s not clean in the pocket. When he has to make plays off schedule, you’re not entirely certain what’s going to happen.”

Pelissero also hinted at his injury-prone history, which could be why he went behind other prospects. Even while in Indiana, he suffered from multiple injuries, including two torn ACLs, before transferring to Washington in 2022. He started, “Two ACLs just create a lot of a higher risk factor.” Opinions are free to express and won’t get over until the final reveal is made on the draft day on April 25 in Detroit.