The NFL Combine and collegiate pro days generally are devoid of big surprises and are used to simply verify a prospect’s athleticism they displayed on the football field.
Occasionally though, a prospect will significantly outperform expectations, forcing evaluators to drastically alter their analysis for a player entering the league.
Despite suffering multiple major knee injuries, Michael Penix Jr. managed to shock many people by posting a blazing fast 40 time at the Washington Pro Day.
Michael Penix Jr.’s Impressive Washington Pro Day Performance
The Washington signal-caller has widely been regarded as the QB5 of this class after J.J. McCarthy‘s ascension up big boards throughout the draft process. Yet, the testing numbers from Penix’s impressive pro day could have some evaluators taking a second look at his prospect profile.
How Fast Is Penix?
Penix ran an unofficial time of 4.46 in the 40-yard dash at Washington’s Pro Day.
Michael Penix Jr. showing off his speed at @UW_Football’s Pro Day. 💨#GoHuskies | #NFLDraft
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) March 28, 2024
It’s worth noting this number is an unofficial time and could settle in somewhere around 4.5, but this is still a very encouraging number for a quarterback who isn’t renowned for his athletic traits or dual-threat capabilities.
How Old Is Penix?
Penix enters the league as an older prospect after spending six years at the collegiate level. He’s currently 23 years old but will turn 24 shortly after the 2024 NFL Draft takes place.
Penix’s Latest Scouting Report
Penix’s lengthy injury history certainly adds a bit more risk for NFL teams considering investing first-round draft capital in him.
During his collegiate career at Indiana, Penix suffered a season-ending torn ACL, a dislocated SC joint in his right shoulder, tore his ACL again, and dislocated a joint in his left shoulder.
Yet, Penix’s blazing time in the 40-yard dash certainly suggests his injury concerns are behind him for the time being, which could have NFL Draft evaluators looking at him in a different light with regard to his prospect profile.
Sure, his rushing production was virtually non-existent at Washington, but the fact Penix has this type of top speed in his bag certainly suggests there could be more than meets the eye in that department.
Penix’s exceptional jump in passing production after he transferred to Washington is exactly why he is potentially a Day 1 pick heading into the 2024 NFL Draft. That is in large part due to his ability to effectively push the ball down the field into tight windows, properly diagnose ideal matchups in the pre-snap process, and effectively operate a pass-first system on time.
Why Did Penix Not Run the 40-Yard Dash at the NFL Combine?
It’s not exactly uncommon for top prospects to decline running the 40-yard dash at the Combine. After all, players like Caleb Williams, Marvin Harrison Jr., Drake Maye, and Jayden Daniels elected not to take the field in Indianapolis in any capacity.
When players decide not to run or participate in specific drills at the Combine, it can be due to a handful of reasons. Some players simply prefer to run drills — like the 40-yard dash — at their pro day event in a controlled environment as opposed to the track at Lucas Oil Stadium.
KEEP READING: Fastest QB 40-Yard Dash Times in NFL Combine History
In Penix’s case, it would appear he simply wanted to focus on throwing at the Combine, which was likely the most important thing he could do to improve his draft stock at that moment. Now that he has turned some heads with his 40 time at Washington’s Pro Day, Penix may have helped bump up his draft value once again ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft.
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