Michael Penix Jr. to the Giants would never work unless this drastic change is made
He's the talk of the country right now and understandably so. On Monday night, Washington Huskies quarterback Michael Penix Jr. put on a show in the Sugar Bowl win against the Texas Longhorns, powering UW to a thrilling 37-31 victory.
Penix was simply unreal, throwing for 430 yards and two touchdowns. Thanks to his brilliant performance, people can't stop talking about his NFL potential. This includes NY Giants fans, who are no doubt intrigued by the impressive lefty. With that said, the idea of Penix with the G-Men doesn't make an ounce of sense unless the offensive line is fixed, especially the right tackle spot.
What a performance by Michael Penix Jr. Fun tape to go back and study. pic.twitter.com/WdU53TFp2E
— Jordan Reid (@Jordan_Reid) January 2, 2024
Evan Neal protecting Michael Penix Jr.'s blindside has disaster written all over it
Imagine if the Giants use their first-round pick on Penix. As things stand, Evan Neal remains the starting right tackle. So, the former No. 7 overall selection would be in charge of protecting Penix's blindside? Yup, that's what you call a recipe for disaster.
Neal has had a rough first two campaigns in the league, including a season-ending ankle injury in 2023. With that said, we are still hopeful - as are a lot of Big Blue supporters - that Neal will make the switch from right tackle to offensive guard and a new starting RT will be brought in this offseason.
That's the change we're talking about: move Neal to the inside and find someone else to play on the opposite end of the offensive line to left tackle Andrew Thomas. Time and time again Neal has proven he can't move quick enough to go up against pass-rushers on the outside.
We'd have to trust him in making sure Penix is kept on his feet? No thanks. There's still a long way to go before April gets here and who knows if general manager Joe Schoen will even have high interest in Penix once the draft gets here. However, Penix continues to raise his stock and he's looking like one of the best QB targets for his class. This kid is the real deal and Schoen would be wise to do his homework on him.
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