Last week, the NFL scouting world descended on Mobile, Alabama as the Senior Bowl took place. This All-Star showcase gives the top seniors entering the upcoming 2022 NFL Draft the chance to impress evaluators in a variety of drills that span the whole week of practice. Each year, the top performers benefit from the Senior Bowl by seeing their draft stock rise as a result and this year was no different. One of the prospects who made waves in NFL circles and in the media was Northern Iowa’s 6’7″ 322 lb. Offensive Tackle Trevor Penning, whose bully mentality was on display all week. Let’s dive into his tape and see how this small-school prospect and Senior Bowl standout projects to the NFL!
Strengths: Penning possesses great size, which allows him to have a stout, wide base that is capable of absorbing contact without losing ground. He is also remarkably athletic. Penning is very comfortable in space, and is effective pulling and blocking to the second level. He is really light on his feet and agile for his size. His lateral quickness allows him to gain quality depth on his kick slide and seal the edge well. His long strides help him to cover ground quickly. Penning is powerful as well, as evidenced by his dominance in the run game. He consistently generates movement and routinely rag-dolls defenders, mercilessly sending them to the ground, fueled by his ferocious bully mentality. He contains a lot of pop in his hands, as well as really good grip strength. When Penning gets into a defender’s chest, he excels at controlling him due to his strength. His mean streak complements his strength really well. Penning consistently blocks through the whistle, especially in the run game. His good performance against Iowa State in 2021, as well as his positive flashes at the Senior Bowl, should serve him well in reassuring scouts who are concerned about Northern Iowa’s level of competition.
Weaknesses: Penning is a raw prospect with a handful of technical issues that will need correcting. His feet deaden late in pass sets at times, which causes him to lunge and get beat around the edge. The speed of NFL pass rushers could pose issues, especially if he does not correct this habit. His tendency to hold when he is beaten around the edge needs to be corrected as well. Penning’s hand placement is inconsistent, as his hands can be too wide sometimes, which exposes his chest. Balance issues appear occasionally on Penning’s tape, usually in the run game when he fails to keep driving his feet through blocks. His pad level is also too high very often. Because of these technical inconsistencies, Penning did not consistently dominate at the modest FCS level. At this level, he did not face anywhere near the talent he will face in the NFL.
Bottom Line: With great size, athleticism, and attitude, Penning has everything that cannot be taught. However, his technique needs a lot of work in several areas. Combined with the significant jump in level of competition, this could lead to a tough adjustment period in the NFL for Penning. However, if properly coached, Penning can become a franchise left tackle and Pro-Bowl caliber player.
Grade: 1.9 (indicative of a late first-round grade)
Eager to hear more about whose draft stock is rising or falling coming out of Senior Bowl week? If you missed it, fellow scout Alex Greb and I were live last night breaking down the winners, losers, and how the quarterback class performed at the Senior Bowl in the latest episode of Bold Take Scouting! Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kr2Go_oUbp0 Enjoy!
Sources
- Cover Image: https://www.profootballnetwork.com/northern-iowa-ot-trevor-penning-demonstrates-nasty-streak-at-senior-bowl/
