X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

Bo Nix vs. Michael Penix Jr. - 2024 NFL Draft Prospect Comparison

Michael Penix Jr. - CFB DFS Picks, Daily College Fantasy Football, NFL Draft Rookies

There are three names that stand out above the rest when talking about the upcoming quarterback class: Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, and Jayden Daniels. A fourth, J.J. McCarthy, is starting to get a lot of added attention and could wind up going in the top five as well.

But this is a very deep quarterback class. Those four aren't the only guys who could wind up as long-term NFL starters. Two Pac-12 rivals -- Oregon's Bo Nix and Washington's Michael Penix Jr. -- could see their names called as early as the first round, with both expected to be drafted at least before the second round ends. While these players have limitations that drop them lower than the other four, they still possess a ton of upside.

Let's compare Bo Nix and Michael Penix Jr. and figure out which is a better NFL prospect.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2024:

 

Who is Bo Nix?

Nix has been around college football for a while now. He first appeared back in 2019 when he was Auburn's starting quarterback as a true freshman. That version of Nix was a lot different from the version of Nix we saw at Oregon over the last two seasons. He was a risk taker and he often struggled with his accuracy. As a freshman, Nix completed just 57.6% of his pass attempts for the Tigers.

Still, he led the Tigers to a 9-4 record in that first season, including wins over Oregon and Alabama. He threw for 16 touchdowns and six interceptions. However, Nix just seemed to stall out as far as development went. In 2020, he had 12 touchdowns and seven picks and once again failed to hit a 60% completion rate. In 2021, he played just 10 games before an injury ended his season, throwing 11 touchdowns and three interceptions. He completed a then-career-high 61.0% of his pass attempts.

Following that season, Nix transferred to Oregon, where he immediately took a major leap. In 2022, he completed 71.9% of his passes and threw 29 touchdowns. Then, in 2023, he had a full breakout, completing 77.4% of his pass attempts for 4,508 yards and 45 touchdowns. He was picked off just three times. Nix also ran for 20 touchdowns over his two seasons at Oregon.

The improvement in Nix's accuracy is the main reason that his NFL stock has risen so much. He showed great touch in 2023 with the Ducks. Add in that he has good speed and can make things happen with his legs, and you can see the makings of a professional quarterback here.

The concern, though, is that Nix's huge improvement in accuracy came with him being asked to mostly operate in the short passing game. There are concerns about how well Nix processes the game when he's asked to stay in the pocket and work the ball down the field. The arm strength is there, but can Nix stand strong in the pocket and work through his reads when the plays start to break down?

 

Who is Michael Penix Jr.?

Like Nix, Penix Jr. has been around college football for a long time. He first played in 2018 at Indiana, spending four injury-plagued seasons with the Hoosiers. Penix never appeared in more than seven games with the team. He suffered two torn ACLs during his time in Bloomington.

Penix transferred to Washington before the 2022 season. Finally healthy, Penix saw his game explode, as he led FBS in passing yards per game in his first season with the Huskies. He completed 65.4% of his passes in two seasons at Washington, throwing 67 touchdowns and 9,544 yards in his 28 appearances with the team.

There's a lot to like in Penix's game. He pushes the ball down the field exceptionally well and might have the best deep-ball accuracy in this draft class. Unfortunately, that sometimes comes at the expense of accuracy in the short and intermediate game, as he can struggle at times to adjust the throws.

Additionally, Penix isn't a scrambler. He isn't someone who extends plays with his legs or can be used on designed run plays. He'll need a team with a strong offensive line that can keep him from pacing too much pressure because he just never really showed at Washington that he can make things happen when the pocket breaks down. The multiple torn ACLs aren't a great thing to have on the resume, either, though past injuries don't necessarily mean that future injuries are likely.

 

Comparing Nix and Penix

While Nix and Penix took similar paths to where they're currently at, the two are very different quarterbacks.

Nix is an athletic player who can make throws in the short and medium games, but who comes with concerns about an ability to push the ball down the field. Penix is essentially the opposite, a player who stands in the pocket and can drop a 40-yard dime with ease, but who struggles to make smaller plays.

If this was the NFL of 10 to 15 years ago, I'd rate Penix's arm as being enough to put him ahead of Nix, but things have changed. Quarterbacks need to be able to use their legs to make things happen. Nix might not be in the same hemisphere as Penix when it comes to deep-ball accuracy, but he doesn't need to be. If opposing defenses want to crowd the box and force him to throw, I'm confident he can find openings there.

That's not to say Nix is going to be an elite NFL quarterback. He's got to take a leap with his processing to consistently beat NFL defenses. Still, his skill set feels better equipped for the NFL game than Penix's. Nix is easier to plug into an offense. With Penix, you need a few more things to go right in order to best utilize him -- a stronger offensive line and receivers who can catch the fastballs he'll be throwing.

However, if things go right for Penix, he might have the higher ceiling. That requires him to work on diversifying his throws more, but if he lands on a team with an offensive line capable of keeping defenders off him, he can push the ball deep as well as anyone.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!

More Fantasy Football Analysis

POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Cam Whitmore16 mins ago

Considered Questionable For Wednesday
Ryan Rollins24 mins ago

Continues To Sit Wednesday
Kevon Looney32 mins ago

Expected To Return On Wednesday
Kyle Anderson42 mins ago

Questionable For Wednesday
Miles McBride52 mins ago

Remains On The Shelf Wednesday
Norman Powell1 hour ago

Will Not Play On Wednesday
Connor Bedard1 hour ago

Ends Drought With Two Assists
Sam Reinhart1 hour ago

Pushes Point Streak To 11 Games
Mark Scheifele2 hours ago

Celebrates Ninth Career Hat Trick
Evan Bouchard2 hours ago

Rocks Senators With Three-Point Period
Connor McDavid2 hours ago

Nets Two Goals During Three-Point Night
NHL2 hours ago

Nicholas Paul Exits Early With Injury Tuesday
Zach Hyman2 hours ago

Sits Out Third Period Versus Senators
9 hours ago

Guardians' Stephen Vogt Named AL Manager Of The Year
Milwaukee Brewers10 hours ago

Pat Murphy Named NL Manager Of The Year
Bradley Beal13 hours ago

Still Out On Wednesday Evening
Jusuf Nurkic13 hours ago

Questionable Versus The Knicks
Anthony Davis13 hours ago

Will Play Against The Jazz
Stephen Curry13 hours ago

Back On The Injury Report For Wednesday
Jalen Johnson13 hours ago

Questionable Versus Golden State
Ben Sheppard14 hours ago

Considered Questionable For Wednesday
Jalen Green14 hours ago

Uncertain For Wednesday’s Game
Myles Turner15 hours ago

Considered Questionable For Wednesday
Cam Thomas15 hours ago

Will Not Play Tuesday
Giannis Antetokounmpo15 hours ago

Listed As Probable For Wednesday
Marcus Smart15 hours ago

Ruled Out For Tuesday
Cam Thomas15 hours ago

Is Questionable For Tuesday
Anfernee Simons15 hours ago

In Danger Of Missing Another Game
Deandre Ayton15 hours ago

Considered Doubtful For Wednesday
Kyle Lowry15 hours ago

To Miss Next Three Games
Jonas Brodin16 hours ago

Returns To Action
Joel Eriksson Ek16 hours ago

Returns To Wild Lineup
16 hours ago

Nick Pivetta Declines Boston's Qualifying Offer
Robert Thomas16 hours ago

Back For Blues Tuesday
Jose Siri16 hours ago

Mets Acquire Jose Siri From The Rays
Alexander Romanov16 hours ago

Rejoins Islanders Lineup
Brayden Point16 hours ago

Ready To Return Versus Penguins
Conor Garland17 hours ago

A Game-Time Call Tuesday
J.T. Miller17 hours ago

Takes Indefinite Leave For Personal Reasons
Jake Ferguson17 hours ago

"Will Be Hard-Pressed" To Play In Week 12
Alex Ovechkin17 hours ago

Considered Week-To-Week
Cooper Rush17 hours ago

Will Start In Week 12
Brandin Cooks17 hours ago

Cowboys Hoping Brandin Cooks Returns This Week
19 hours ago

Phillies To Meet With Juan Soto
20 hours ago

Luis Severino Rejects Qualifying Offer From Mets
Aaron Rodgers20 hours ago

' Status With Jets In Doubt For 2025?
20 hours ago

Willy Adames Declines Brewers Qualifying Offer
20 hours ago

Teoscar Hernandez Declines Qualifying Offer From Dodgers
20 hours ago

Juan Soto Declines Yankees' Qualifying Offer
New York Jets22 hours ago

Jets Fire GM Joe Douglas
Travis Konecny1 day ago

Stretches Point Streak To Seven Games
Sam Montembeault1 day ago

Records 30-Save Shutout Versus Oilers
William Eklund1 day ago

Scores Twice In Overtime Victory
Brett Leason1 day ago

Tallies Three Points In Win Over Stars
Brock McGinn1 day ago

Exits Win With Injury
Alex Ovechkin1 day ago

Evaluated For Leg Injury
Luke Schoonmaker1 day ago

Commands 10 Targets Amidst Teammate's Injury
CeeDee Lamb1 day ago

Remains Productive Despite Loss
Houston Texans1 day ago

Texans D/ST Finds End Zone In Victory At Dallas
Joe Mixon1 day ago

Extends Hot Streak Against Cowboys
Luis Gil2 days ago

Wins AL Rookie Of The Year Award
Jake Ferguson2 days ago

Won't Return On Monday
Paul Skenes2 days ago

Named 2024 NL Rookie Of The Year
Brock Purdy2 days ago

Day-To-Day With Shoulder Soreness
George Kittle2 days ago

Expected To Practice On Wednesday
CeeDee Lamb2 days ago

Officially Active On Monday Night
Nico Collins2 days ago

Won't Face Playing-Time Restrictions On Monday Night
New York Giants2 days ago

Brian Daboll On The Hot Seat In New York?
Brady Singer2 days ago

Reds, Royals Discussing Jonathan India, Brady Singer
Gardner Minshew II2 days ago

Raiders Sticking With Gardner Minshew II At QB
2 days ago

Sean Manaea To Reject Mets' Qualifying Offer
Dak Prescott2 days ago

Heading To Injured Reserve
2 days ago

Braves Have Interest In Walker Buehler
Isiah Pacheco2 days ago

Andy Reid On Isiah Pacheco: "We'll See How He Does In Practice"
2 days ago

Astros Interested In Willy Adames
Gabe Davis2 days ago

Won't Return In 2024
Mike Evans2 days ago

Seen At Practice On Monday
CeeDee Lamb2 days ago

Tracking Towards Playing On Monday Night
Charles Oliveira2 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Michael Chandler2 days ago

Gets Dominated At UFC 309
Karine Silva2 days ago

Suffers Her First UFC Loss
Viviane Araujo2 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Mauricio Ruffy2 days ago

Extends His Win Streak To Six
Nick Martinez3 days ago

Signs Qualifying Offer With Reds
3 days ago

Luis Severino Likely To Decline Qualifying Offer From Mets
James Llontop3 days ago

Loses Clear-Cut Decision In Thrilling Fight At UFC 309
Paul Craig3 days ago

Loses Decision At UFC 309
Bo Nickal3 days ago

Remains Undefeated With Lackluster Performance At UFC 309
Stipe Miocic3 days ago

Retires After UFC 309 Loss
Jon Jones3 days ago

Gets TKO Win At UFC 309 To Defend Heavyweight Title
Grayson Rodriguez5 days ago

Orioles Optimistic Grayson Rodriguez Will Have A Full Spring Training
5 days ago

Red Sox Have Productive Meeting With Juan Soto
Michael Chandler5 days ago

Set For A Rematch At UFC 309
Charles Oliveira5 days ago

A Favorite At UFC 309
Viviane Araujo5 days ago

An Underdog At UFC 309
Karine Silva5 days ago

Looks To Extend Her Win Streak
Mauricio Ruffy5 days ago

Looks For His Second UFC Win
Jett Williams5 days ago

Suffers Sprained Ankle In AFL
James Llontop6 days ago

A Big Underdog At UFC 309
Paul Craig6 days ago

Looks To Snap Losing Skid At UFC 309
Bo Nickal6 days ago

Puts Undefeated Record On The Line At UFC 309
Stipe Miocic6 days ago

Ends Layoff At UFC 309
Jon Jones6 days ago

Defends Heavyweight Title At UFC 309
Tampa Bay Rays6 days ago

Rays To Play Home Games In 2025 At Steinbrenner Field

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 

Video: Week 12 Must-Start Defense (D/ST) Streamers - 2024 Fantasy Football Start/Sit Analysis

We're back and dropping fire content for Week 12! Check out our top 2024 fantasy football must-start Defenses (D/ST) and be prepared to dominate your matchups! LaQuan Jones discusses his top "Must Start" Defense (D/ST) streamers that have the potential to be game-changers in Week 12, as well as some defenses that you might want […]


D'Andre Swift - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injuries

Fantasy Football Trade Targets - Buy/Sell For Week 12 Including Josh Downs, T.J. Hockenson, Bucky Irving, D'Andre Swift

For many fantasy football gamers, the end of Week 11 marked the last opportunity to make trades ahead of the fantasy playoffs. However, there are plenty of leagues that have a later deadline and some that have no deadline at all. This is especially true of dynasty leagues, and while this week's column will still […]


Justin Herbert - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Fantasy Football Matchups We Love - Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Picks for Week 12 Include Bo Nix, De'Von Achane, Quentin Johnston, Calvin Ridley, more

It seems as though fantasy managers were either incredibly disappointed or incredibly excited in Week 11. The output was modest for most players. However, if you had a monopoly on a select few players such as Cooper Kupp, Taysom Hill, or the Detroit Lions, you likely won your week. With the fantasy playoffs roughly three weeks […]


Christian McCaffrey - Fantasy Football Rankings, DFS and Betting Picks, NFL Injury News

Fantasy Football Matchups to Target, Avoid (Week 12) - Offensive Line Champs and Chumps

11 weeks have come and gone in the NFL season, which means the fantasy playoffs are just around the corner. Whether you are at the top of the standings or fighting for a playoff spot, Week 12 will feature a unique challenge. Six teams are on bye in Week 12, forcing fantasy managers to get […]


Darnell Mooney - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Fantasy Football WR Injury Reports: Week 12 Updates For Darnell Mooney, Gabe Davis, Mike Evans, Adam Thielen

The season's (first) biggest bye week has arrived. Six teams (Falcons, Bills, Bengals, Jaguars, Saints, Jets) get a week off. That makes it more important for fantasy football that the wide receivers scheduled to play do so. To keep close tabs on all of the news across the NFL, make sure to favorite or bookmark […]


George Pickens - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL injury News

Steelers vs. Browns TNF Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Jameis Winston, Nick Chubb, David Njoku, Jerry Jeudy, Russell Wilson, Najee Harris, George Pickens

The Week 12 Thursday Night Football game between two bitter AFC North rivals (Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers) is not likely to end up like the Thursday night game from two weeks ago when two different AFC North teams (Bengals and Ravens) battled to a 35-34 shootout. Somewhere deep in the charter of the Pittsburgh […]


Isiah Pacheco - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Rookies

Fantasy Football Injury Reports For NFL RBs: Week 12 Updates for Isiah Pacheco, Tyjae Spears, Jonathon Brooks, Miles Sanders

Below is our fantasy football injuries report for running backs in Week 12, as of November 20. The injury statuses for various NFL running backs are up in the air for Week 12, including Isiah Pacheco, Tyjae Spears, Jonathon Brooks, and Miles Sanders. As the fantasy football season continues, every decision, transaction, and lineup change […]


Taysom Hill - Fantasy Football Rankings, Waiver Wire Pickups, Draft Sleepers

Fantasy Football Risers and Fallers - Week 12

Week 11 of the 2024 season is in the books. That means another week of cold, hard data to analyze. We’ll try not to overreact, but instead, use logic and reasoning as the foundation for our decision-making in the weeks ahead. Each week, we’ll take a look back at the previous week to see if […]


Jonnu Smith - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Fact or Fiction: Fantasy Football Outlooks for Anthony Richardson, Jerry Jeudy, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Taysom Hill, Jonnu Smith

Week 11 of the NFL is behind us, and it's time to look ahead to next week's action. There were some surprising performances in the 11th week of the season, but were those surprising performances a sign of things to come for players? Every week, I'll examine five NFL players whose numbers from the previous […]


Ladd McConkey - Fantasy Football Rankings, Rookies, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Fantasy Football WR Sleepers: Smash Spots for Week 12 include Courtland Sutton, Josh Downs, Terry McLaurin, Ladd McConkey

Welcome to the first bye-pocalypse of the season. We have the Bengals, Bills, Falcons, Jaguars, Jets, and Saints all on bye. Do not panic; there are always great WRs to start! Last week, none of our selections found the end zone. However, they put up decent yardage. Highlighted by CeeDee Lamb going eight receptions for […]


Jaxon Smith-Njigba Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

High-Value Touches and Opportunities - Fantasy Football Underperformers, Overperformers (Week 12)

Welcome back, RotoBallers, to my weekly series, "High-Value Touches and Opportunities" for Week 12 of the 2024 fantasy football season. We're nearly a month before the fantasy football playoffs begin, depending on if leagues go through Week 17 or 18. It's crunch time, and we'll want to pay attention to the news, noise, and trends, […]


TJ Watt - IDP, Pittsburgh Steelers, DST, Defense, Fantasy Football Def

Week 12 IDP Rankings for Fantasy Football (2024) - Defense Positional Rankings for LB, DL, DB

Week 12 is an appropriate time for fantasy and NFL general managers to take stock. Is their team a real contender, a pretender, or are you comfortably in the basement? Those in the basement of dynasties may be looking to tank for better picks, while those in redraft leagues may still want to win enough […]


Top Fantasy Football D/ST Rankings (Weeks 12, 13, 14, 15) - Defense Streamers and Starts

Welcome, RotoBallers, to our fantasy football D/ST streamers and starts for Weeks 12, 13, 14, and 15 -- looking at the next four weeks and identifying the best D/ST matchups. Picking up defenses in advance that have a great upcoming schedule is a strategy that most fantasy managers should be using at this point of the season.  […]