The New York Giants are scouting all of the top quarterbacks in this year’s draft class. On Thursday, general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll traveled to Washington’s pro day to get a closer look at Michael Penix Jr., a strong-arm left-handed quarterback who they could target in this year’s draft.
The Giants’ top brass attended Washington’s pro day
Schoen and Daboll were joined by director of player personnel Tim McDonnell, assistant general manager Brandon Brown, offensive coordinator Mike Kafka, quarterbacks coach Shea Tierney, and wide receivers coach Mike Groh at Washington’s pro day on Thursday (per Albert Breer). This is a significant contingent of Big Blue’s top decision-makers.
The G-Men have been attending all of the top quarterback prospects’ pro days and hosting them for meetings. Currently holding the No. 6 pick in the draft, taking a quarterback in the first round is firmly on the table. The front office is wise to do its due diligence on all of this class’s top signal-callers. But it seems worth noting that the contingent sent to Washington is the largest that has been sent to any pro day so far.
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The Giants will be having a private meeting with Michael Penix Jr.
According to Art Stapleton, the Giants plan to bring Penix in for a 30 visit after having Schoen, Daboll, and other coaches in attendance for his Pro Day. This will be a private workout at the team’s facility in New Jersey where the team will get a closer look at Penix and get to know him better off the field.
The Giants have already had 30 visits with other top quarterback prospects, such as Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy and UNC’s Drake Maye. They also have another private meeting scheduled with McCarthy and are likely to meet again with Maye in the next month leading up to the draft.
Could Penix be a first-round pick?
The Giants’ interest in Penix seems notable. The Washington quarterback is not expected to be a top-10 pick and could wind up being drafted in the second round. It seems like New York is preparing for every scenario that might land them a quarterback in this year’s class. Taking Penix in the second round could be an enticing option if he falls that far.
However, Penix boosted his draft stock during Thursday’s pro day workout. Bleacher Report insider Jordan Schultz shared that one NFL coach texted him about Penix, saying the Washington quarterback made himself a first-round pick during his pro day:
The Giants would be unlikely to reach on Penix with the No. 6 overall pick, but he could be a trade-down target in the first round, or a trade-up target if they want to move up from their second-round pick back into the first round.
What could Penix bring to the Giants?
Penix would bring a 6-foot-2, 216-pound frame to Big Blue. The 24-year-old spent six seasons in college as injuries held him back from moving on to the next level. Penix has had two season-ending knee injuries in his career (2020 and 2021) — both suffered during his time at Indiana (2018 to 2021).
But over the past two years, Penix has stayed healthy after transferring to Washington. He’s also been dominant. In 2022, he totaled 4,641 yards and 31 touchdowns with only eight interceptions. He followed that up with 4,903 yards, 36 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions in 2023.
While not viewed as a special athlete, Penix demonstrated an underlying talent during his pro day. He ran the 40-yard dash and clocked an unofficial 4.46s time. This might help boost his draft stock next month.
Due to his injury history, there is plenty of risk involved with drafting Penix. While he may not be a day-one starter, Penix has developmental tools and traits that an NFL team might fall in love with. The Giants are certainly interested in his talents, but it remains to be seen whether or not they will fall in love with Penix and draft him in April.