49ers fill their biggest need in this 1st-round mock NFL Draft
. Washington. 13. 13. Quarterback. . Michael Penix Jr. Michael Penix Jr. player. 28
The Las Vegas Raiders are in a weird position. They absolutely need a quarterback but could also go a few different ways with their pick given they're in a new regime unlike the Broncos.
It's close, but I think the Raiders could pull the trigger given the need for quarterbacks in this league.
Penix is much more physically talented than Bo Nix, but the former is also much more erratic. Penix threw for 4,903 yards, 36 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 2023 while adding three touchdowns on the ground playing for Washington.
Similar in size to Nix (6-foot-2, 216 pounds), there's no doubt Penix has the arm to be an elite quarterback at the next level. There's been some concerns on his processing, but looking at the tape, he routinely made smart decisions and went through his progressions. Of particular note is his ability to diagnose and defeat blitzing schemes, very important in the NFL as blitzing to rattle rookie quarterbacks is a theme in the NFL.
There are concerns with Penix. He's had troubles staying healthy in college and he can make bad decisions on the occasions where he does get rattled, but he looks like well worth taking a gamble on.
player. Olumuyiwa Fashanu. 14. 15. Penn State. 14. . . Offensive Tackle . Olumuyiwa Fashanu
The New Orleans Saints could take an EDGE here as well, but the team needs some better blocking desperately. Olumuyiwa Fashanu can take over for bust Trevor Penning, as he has a good size (6-foot-6, 312 pounds) and the ability to man the blind side.
Fashanu's aforementioned measurables as well as his wingspan make him the prototypical size for a elft tackle. He has a relentless motor and has the athleticism to ride the pocket against speed rushers. He's also functionally strong enough to be a left tackle.
Where Fashanu needs to improve is his technique, as he can be caught in bad situations in run blocking situations and his pad level can sometimes be a bit high.
He might need some minor coaching, but he can be a high-level blindside protector in the NFL.
. Toledo. . Quinyon Mitchell. 15. 46. 15. Cornerback. Quinyon Mitchell. player
The Indianapolis Colts have some major needs in the secondary as they try to combat Trevor Lawrence, C.J. Stroud and (potentially) Will Levis for the next decade or more.
Quinyon Mitchell has some major upside, perhaps the most at the position in this draft.
Mitchell might be a small-school prospect where concerns about the level of competition arise, but he helped answer those questions with an excellent Senior Bowl and then NFL Combine, which confirmed his first-round status.
Mitchell is a very speedy corner with good size at 6-foot-0 and 195 pounds. In 2023, Mitchell had an interception and 18 passes defended. which followed up a breakout 2022 season where he had five interceptions and 19 passes defended.
He is a very aggressive corner who always wants to make a play, so there are concerns he could be caught out trying to do that in the NFL. He'll need to control those instincts if he goes to the Colts, given the high caliber of quarterbacks in that division.