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Much has been made of the consensus top-four quarterbacks in the 2024 NFL Draft. The expectation is that Caleb Steve Pearce Jersey Williams, Drake Maye, and Jayden Daniels will go with the first three selections unle s J.J. McCarthy can displace one of them after a solid pre-draft proce s.The same buzz doesn't exist for Washington's Michael Penix Jr., but he capped off an excellent calendar year with a great pro day Thursday.Penix showcased surprisingly great athletic ability, namely speed, to help further quell concerns that his multiple ACL injuries will be a problem for him at the NFL level. During his throwing se sion, he continued to throw the ball well, though questions will still exist about how he will fare under pre sure at the NFL level.Still, Penix certainly deserves a stock-up for his pro day performance. It isn't clear whether that will be enough to solidify him as a first-round lock, but he's done everything he can to make NFL scouts comfortable with his skill sets during his NFL Combine and pro day workouts.Here are Sporting News' takeaways from Penix's pro day, from his athletic tests to his throwing se sion.MORE: | Michael Penix Jr. pro Nomar Garciaparra Jersey day takeawaysPenix continues to throw the prettiest ball among 2024 NFL Draft prospectsPenix may not be the No. 1 quarterback prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft, but it's hard to find a quarterback that throws a prettier-looking pa s than him. That was on display at his pro day.Penix threw numerous high-quality pa ses to his receivers. His downfield strikes often had elite-level ball placement and were easy for his receivers to catch. The pa s below hit his receiver in stride as he broke to the sideline.The ball coming off Michael Penixs hand is a thing of beauty. EJ Snyder (@FootballEJ) This downfield throw floated perfectly into tight end Devin Culp's hands on the run.Penix deep to Devin Culp (TE): EJ Snyder (@FootballEJ) Penix also showed a good combination of accuracy and velocity when attacking the middle of the field. That will make teams confident that he has the short-area accuracy needed to become an efficient quarterback early in his career.Just easy velocity EJ Snyder (@FootballEJ) Overall, Penix looked good as a pa ser and he showed off his best traits. When unbothered in the pocket, he is a very accurate pa ser who positions his receivers to make catches and run with the ball. And notably, his deep pa ses look particularly good.Unleashing em EJ Snyder (@FootballEJ) That will endear him to teams that believe he can level out his play and become a consistently good player under pre sure, as well.MORE: Penix's pro day couldn't quell all concerns about his pa sing skill setOf course, Penix's pro day was never going to be the perfect opportunity to evaluate him. His biggest i sues as a pocket pa ser came when he was under pre sure or forced to find an open receiver when forced off his spot.Every action at Penix's pro day was planned, just Jackie Bradley Jr Jersey as it was for all the other top quarterbacks. That won't nece sarily hurt him, but questions about that part of his tape will still exist.One area that Penix did seemingly addre s? His throwing motion appeared to be a bit smoother than his usual delivery at Washington. and I are noticing that it seems Michael Penix has tweaked his throwing motion. Looks much smoother and under control. Ben Jimmie Foxx Jersey Gla smire (@BenGla smireNFL) His ability to make that tweak while remaining accurate will show teams that he can make changes and still find succe s. That will be one of the most positive things teams can take away from this workout, even if they can't see exactly how Penix would perform off-script and under pre sure.PRO DAY TAKEAWAYS: | | Penix hasn't lost his athleticism despite injuriesPenix suffered two torn ACLs during his college career, but he has maintained his above-average athleticism. He showcased that at his pro day by running the 40-yard dash, something that few quarterback prospects have done ahead of the draft.The 23-year-old senior expre sed that he wanted to give scouts a chance to see him run, something he didn't do often at Washington but was fully capable of doing."I aint no bum," Penix said of why he decided to perform athletic tests, per . "I want to show off my athleticism and prove that I can run when I need to."The results? Some hand-time Penix's run at 4.46 seconds, though a group of scouts clocked Penix between 4.53 and 4.56 seconds in the 40, per .MP9 showed off the zoomies with that Rafael Devers Jersey 4.46u | NFL (@NFL) Either way, Penix's time wasfast. He either bettered or came close to matchingKedon Slovis' 4.56-second 40 time the fastest quarterback at the 2024 NFL Combine depending on which time you believe.Penix was the only quarterback of the six potential first-round picks to run the 40-yard dash. That fearle sne s, along with his performance, could earn him respect among the scouting community.Penix also notched a 36.5-inch vertical jump at his workout along with a 10-6 broad jump. Those numbers show he has the leg power and lower-body explosivene s to quickly decide to run and escape pa s rushers when the pocket collapses.Michael Penix, Jr. vertical jump here at Washington Pro Day: 36.5 Field Yates (@FieldYates) Penix's performance should help his stock continue to rise as the 2024 NFL Draft draws nearer. He may not be a first-round lock because of his injury history, but he has done all he can to dispel the narrative that he is too brittle to survive in the NFL.
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