Northern Iowa OT Trevor Penning
6-foot-7
325 pounds
Yahoo Sports’ 2022 NFL draft grade
6.44 — possible first-rounder; possible immediate-impact prospect
TL;DR scouting report
Mauling, nasty left tackle with textbook NFL frame and good athletic traits, although he dominated at the FCS level
The skinny
A 0-star Rivals recruit in the Class of 2017, Penning was completely overlooked in high school by bigger programs, including Iowa State, which was about an hour down the road. He signed with UNI and redshirted in 2017 as he transformed his body, putting on nearly 100 pounds over his time there. After getting four games of action in 2018, he earned a starting role in 2019 — the opener at right guard and the next 13 games at left tackle. He’d remain there for the 2021 spring and fall seasons, playing a combined 17 games and earning a Senior Bowl invite and being named a Walter Payton Award finalist.
Northern Iowa OT Trevor Penning turned in a strong performance at the NFL Combine. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
Upside
Gifted specimen with great weight distribution, elite core strength and flexibility
Broad frame with tremendous length — 34 1/4-arms and 10 1/8-inch hands
Natural athlete who can move with explosive burst
Strong NFL combine workout — excellent numbers in 40 (4.89 seconds), 10-yard split (1.65), agility drills
Rag dolls defenders with leverage, power and temperament
Truly nasty play style — plays through the echo of the whistle (and sometimes beyond)
Aggravated Senior Bowl defenders, many of whom he buried, all week in practice
Comes out firing on his first snap, looking to set a tone early
Hard punch can shock defenders out of the gate
Gets low as a run blocker and sinks his hips to maximize power
Can turn defenders perpendicular to the line of scrimmage
Moves pretty well as puller and on screens — gets…
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