Many commentators have suggested that quarterback Jared Goff performed well enough over the last season and a half to merit a substantial new contract deal from the Detroit Lions. Tim Weaver of Seahawks Wire did not necessarily disagree, but he did believe that the Lions should target Michael Penix Jr. as Goff’s successor.
In his most recent 2024 NFL mock draft, Weaver predicted that the Lions would select Penix at number 29 overall.
Weaver commented, “After his performance at the combine, it appears unlikely Michael Penix will make it to Day 2 now.” “Detroit pulls the trigger at this point, eventually providing them a replacement to Jared Goff. Penix being involved in Ben Johnson’s offense might be something exceptional.”
Penix’s performance at the Washington Huskies pro day was surely memorable. Scouts measured Penix’s 40-yard sprint time at less than 4.6 seconds, according to ESPN’s Field Yates. He also demonstrated his arm strength by tossing the ball around 75 yards in the air for a completion.
According to Derrik Klassen of Bleacher Report, Penix would appeal to any club that wants to strike frequently down the field and use a lot of play action.
“His live arm, aggressiveness and moments of progression passing give him a shot to stick in the NFL,” Klassen stated in an email.
Could the Lions Target QB Michael Penix Jr?
If Klassen’s assertion is correct, the Lions could easily be interested in Penix.
According to Doug Farrar and Greg Cosell of Yahoo Sports, Goff used play-action from under center on 135 dropbacks during the 2023 regular season. This was by far the most in the NFL.
It contributed significantly to Detroit’s offensive performance in 2023. Goff averaged 116.1 passer rating on play-action dropbacks.
Goff was not among the top quarterbacks in terms of deep passes (30 or 40 yards). However, he ranked second among all signal callers with 69 attempts that traveled at least 20 yards.
