Many analysts feel that quarterback Jared Goff performed well enough over the previous 15 months to warrant a large contract extension from the Detroit Lions. Though he didn’t necessarily disagree, Tim Weaver of Seahawks Wire maintained that the Lions ought to target . as Goff’s replacement.
In his most recent 2024 NFL mock draft, Weaver picked Penix to be selected by the Lions at pick No. 29 overall.
Weaver commented, “It seems unlikely Michael Penix will last until Day 2 now, after his performance at the combine.” This is the moment when Detroit eventually decides to provide them Jared Goff’s replacement. Penix may be something remarkable once he starts contributing to Ben Johnson’s offense.
It would be accurate to characterize Penix’s performance at the Washington Huskies pro day as exceptional. Scouts timed Penix at less than 4.6 seconds in the 40-yard dash, according to ESPN’s Field Yates. In order to complete the play, he demonstrated his arm strength by throwing the ball about 75 yards into the air.
Derrik Klassen of Bleacher Report stated that Penix will draw teams that want to attack frequently down the field and employ a lot of play action.
“He has a chance to stick in the NFL because of his live arm, aggression, and moments of progression passing,” Klassen wrote.
The Lions might be interested in Penix if Klassen’s claim is true.
Doug Farrar and Greg Cosell of Yahoo Sports report that in the 2023 regular season, Goff had 135 dropbacks while using play-action from under center. That was the NFL’s highest amount by far.
It played a significant role in Detroit’s offensive performance in 2023. Goff’s play-action dropback passer rating was 116.1.
Goff didn’t rank among the top quarterbacks when it came to downfield passes of 30 or 40 yards. However, out of all signal callers, he ranked second with 69 attempts that covered at least 20 yards.
In light of this, Penix seems like a perfect fit for Ben Johnson’s offensive style.
Penix was able to complete more intermediate and deep passes thanks to the Huskies’ offensive scheme, according to NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein. “Penix has a lot of arm strength, but he needs to improve his timing between the numbers to cut down on pointless contested throws.”
Even still, it would be shocking if Penix was selected by the Lions in the NFL draft.
Goff doesn’t turn 30 until October, but he just finished one of his best seasons to date. Last season, the Lions selected Hendon Hooker in the third round as well. If the Lions draft Penix, it would indicate that, after a single season, they are losing faith in Hooker as a future starter or dependable backup.
Hooker might not even have a roster position in 2024 with Detroit if the Lions choose Penix. On March 27, the Lions signed veteran quarterback Nate Sudfeld to a one-year contract. They now have three quarterbacks on the squad.
On March 28, Penix disclosed to ESPN that he has five pre-draft visits planned with organizations. Among them are not the Lions.
On March 8, Jared Ramsey of the Detroit Free Press reported that Goff might sign a long-term contract deal with the Lions “any day now.” It hasn’t occurred yet. However, there is still a general anticipation that it will happen.
According to Mike Payton of AtoZ Sports, “the first thing that people might think is that the two parties aren’t coming to an agreement on terms.” “Perhaps they disagree greatly; perhaps the Lions aren’t as committed to Goff as we initially believed. Maybe they’ll hold off until the next year.
“I don’t believe any of that is the current situation. The rationale is that past performance indicates that Goff’s agent and the Lions often complete these tasks later rather than sooner.
Payton cited the team’s recent decision to extend Frank Ragnow’s contract as an illustration. Ragnow’s new agreement was agreed to by the Lions and the team in May of the 2021 offseason.
It seems improbable that the Lions would target Penix in the first round if they really want to make Goff one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the league (there is little evidence to the contrary).
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