I have softened on my position on passing on Penix a bit. Zero chance I want to take him at 11 and I really don't want to take him at 23.
But, there could be a scenario in which the Vikings get shut out on the top 4 quarterbacks. Teams at picks 1 - 6 say no chance, we want our picks, and boom all of them are gone or an equivalent situation in which the asking price of the trade is simply too fn much. #11, #23, 2025 first, 2026 first and second, 2027 first (once the draft starts these picks can be traded). But that might be the asking price in this crazy draft cycle.
I like Turner, Verse and Latu, and Arnold and Mitchell, but not sure if any of them are true game changers, at 11.
Although some vehemently disagree, I could see selecting one of the offensive tackles at 11 if we really like them, start them out in their rookie season at LG, and then move him to RT in year 2, releasing O'Neill and freeing $15 million in cap space and saving $18 million in real salary.
Those are the 11 options.
At 23 I would consider Penix, but I would really prefer to draft him in the 2nd. I hate how Penix throws the football and that arm angle is not typically a successful NFL throwing platform, and it is a very difficult mechanical problem to correct at the NFL level.
But, one reason my position softened is Penix's pro day measurables. Way better than I assumed because he really was slow footed during games. My comp on this is Philip Rivers with his unorthodox delivery. But, 9 out of 10 of these types fail in the NFL. If we do not draft a QB at the top, while I think his results are a bit overrated, he can somehow throw the football in most situations. Maybe you consider him, but.... idk.