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The Russell Wilson era appears to be coming to an end, and the 2024 NFL draft is approaching. Will the Denver Broncos go big game hunting? If so, college football analyst Joel Klatt thinks they may have the ideal fit for head coach Sean Payton’s system.
Klatt believes Washington Huskies star quarterback Michael Penix Jr. could be the perfect fit for the Broncos. Penix is projected to be a first-round draft pick, and according to Klatt, Penix’s attributes fit into the type of mold that Payton would want in a quarterback.
“Depending on the game — 15 to 30 times a game, he’s asked to make NFL-style, big-boy throws,” Klatt said during an interview on Denver Sports/104.3 The Fan last week, via DenverSports.com’s Andrew Mason. “And not just the throws themselves, but the post-snap read, the ability to throw with timing and accuracy and anticipation, and he did that better than everybody in college football. So, his game actually translates to the NFL more quickly and better than anybody else in the draft class.”
The Broncos are scheduled to select 12th overall in the first round, and Penix might still be on the board when Denver goes on the clock.
“I think Michael Penix fits Sean Payton perfectly,” Klatt said. “I really do. He’s the guy that I think Denver should target, because they’re not going to get Drake [Maye]. They’re not going to get Caleb [Williams] unless they go way up there and give a lot — which, where they’re gonna be from a salary-cap perspective, I just don’t think that they can do that.”
With Payton and the Broncos possibly moving off Wilson, Penix potentially being the pick for Payton is a storyline to keep an eye on this spring.
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