In a perfect world, the New York Giants would walk away from the 2022 NFL draft with a top offensive tackle prospect and more draft capital to work with in a prospective trade-back scenario. Giving new general manager Joe Schoen more opportunities to hit on his evaluations is ideal.
One prospect who elevated his stock tremendously during the Senior Bowl is Northern Iowa tackle, Trevor Penning.
Penning dominated during the Senior Bowl week, putting multiple defenders on the ground and showcasing his athleticism at 6-foot-7, 321 pounds.
Trevor Penning, everyone. #Jets GM Joe Douglas has spent a lot of time with him today.
You can … see why here. Wait until the end.
He’s played OT & OG today. pic.twitter.com/ZGvKV49NEG
— Connor Hughes (@Connor_J_Hughes) February 2, 2022
Right off the bat, you can see Penning stand up a pass rusher and bury him in the dirt, representing the type of hostility and aggression teams love in tackle prospects.
Penning was previously considered a second-round pick, but he might’ve catapulted himself into the first round, where the Giants could move back and still grab his services while adding more assets for Schoen to utilize.
The Draft Network had great things to say about Trevor Penning, indicating he’s an incredibly powerful tackle who dominates in the run game:
Trevor Penning is a redshirt senior who aligns at Left Tackle for the Panther offense. good athlete with good explosion and agility to get out on the perimeter. In the run game, he is a nasty and physical player. He has a savage temperament and has finished several plays with the defender on the ground. He is extremely powerful at the point of attack and gets consistent vertical movement in the run game. However, due to his size and inability to bend extremely well, leverage issues are of slight concern against smaller edge defenders.
The aggressiveness Penning brings to the field is unmatched, always finding a way to demoralize opponents by putting them on the ground and offering a few words of encouragement after the play.
Jets general manager Joe Douglas was seen speaking with Trevor for prolonged periods of time, so there is obvious interest from other teams, but anything is possible in the draft.
Penning can be a bit heavy-footed in pass protection and his hand placement is inconsistent at times, especially against smaller pass rushers who offer more quickness off the edge. If he can find a way to balance out speed rushers, he will become a solid tackle in the NFL, but he doesn’t have any experience on the right side — many prospects make the transition.
The Northern Iowa stand-out spent time at both guard spots and left tackle at the Senior Bowl, so there’s no question he is used to moving around from the outside to the interior.
There is a connection between Schoen and Penning, considering the Buffalo Bills drafted his teammate, Spencer Brown in the third round last year. There’s no doubt Buffalo had already done their evaluations on Penning as well, so Schoen might have a bit more knowledge on him as a prospect.
With the Giants trying to take a more modernized approach to their offense, establishing the run with a healthy scheme is essential. Penning is considered one of the best run-blocking tackles in the draft class, which is undoubtedly an attractive part of his game.