Washington Huskies quarterback Michael Penix Jr. is coming off one of the greatest individual seasons in college football history, yet he remains one of the most polarizing prospects of the 2024 NFL Draft.

The 6-foot-3 quarterback threw for 4,903 yards, 36 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He led the Huskies to a Sugar Bowl victory over Texas, but the school’s dream season ended with a 34-13 loss to the No. 1 ranked Michigan Wolverines.

Scouts and analysts are divided on if Michael Penix can succeed at the NFL level, but many project him to be a first-round pick.

In his latest mock draft, NFL.com analyst Daniel Jeremiah projected that the Las Vegas Raiders will use shock the league by using the No. 13 selection on Penix:

“The Raiders signed Gardner Minshew to compete against Aidan O’Connell. However, I don’t think those two quarterbacks have the ceiling that Penix does in the NFL. There’s an assumption that Penix is more of a second-rounder, but I believe his skill set is a unique fit for the Raiders’ style of play.”

Not only is this a fascinating prediction by Jeremiah because few have Michael Penix going that high, but also because he has the Huskies QB going before Oregon product Bo Nix, whom many regard as the fifth-best signal-caller in this class.

Caleb Williams is a virtual lock to go first overall to the Chicago Bears. The Washington Commanders will likely take LSU’s Jayden Daniels or North Carolina’s Drake Maye at No. 2, with the New England Patriots presumably preparing to take whichever one remains.

Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy is the consensus No. 4 QB prospect in this class, with Nix rounding out the top-five rankings. But could Michael Penix stun everybody and end up going before Nix? We’ll find out in a month.

Raiders Should Definitely Consider Michael Penix Jr.
Aidan O’Connell had an uneven rookie year in Las Vegas, and it prompted the front office to bring in Gardner Minshew II via free agency to serve as competition.

O’Connell simply doesn’t have Penix’s skill set, and Minshew II isn’t a long-term option. So if the Raiders like Penix’s skill set, they should definitely take the risk and use their first-round pick on him.

Remember, Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson were considered boom-or-bust prospects, and we’ve seen how they’ve all fared thus far.

As good as Derek Carr was for the Raiders, he was nothing close to All-Pro caliber. The Raiders haven’t had an elite QB since Rich Gannon when he won MVP honors in the 2002 season, so they have to consider taking a chance on Penix here.