2022 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Trevor Penning

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Trevor Penning, 6-7/325 Offensive Tackle Northern Iowa

Trevor Penning Scouting Report
By Charlie Campbell

Strengths:

Nasty presence with a serious mean streak

Violent blocker

Beats up defenders

Blocks hard through the whistle

Wears down defenders

Sets a physical tone

Quality athlete

Agile; loose hips and ankles

Quality feet

Bends at the knee

Quick out of his stance

Plays with good leverage

Can mirror speed rushers

Gets depth in his drop to cut off the edge

Good length

Tough to run around

Natural to avoid bending at the waist

Gets a push in the ground game

Can blast defenders out of their gap

Manipulates defenders and turns them

Can generate movement in the ground game

Can move in the open field

Can hit blocks in space

Big hands – 10.25 inches

Upside

Weaknesses:

Technique needs development

Can struggle to adjust

Can be late to react to rush moves

Should work to improve versus inside rushes

Opens up chest with hands too wide on some rushes

Big jump in competition

Summary: For the 2021 NFL Draft, Northern Iowa had an offensive tackle who created a buzz in the scouting community with Spencer Brown, and the program has an even better prospect for the 2022 NFL Draft in Trevor Penning. Penning was a 3-year starter at Northern Iowa and then performed well at the Senior Bowl against the higher level of competition.

Penning is a gifted pass blocker with a combination of length, athleticism, quickness and agility. His quick enough feet help him get depth in his drop to take away the edge from speed rushers, and his long frame makes it hard for defenders to get around him. Penning plays with good leverage to stop bull rushes and is able to bend at the knee. Occasionally, Penning opens up his chest too much and is slow to adjust to moves to the inside or outside that he doesn’t anticipate. Thus, he is not a finished product and needs some developmental time. Coming from his lower level of competition, it could be in the best interest of both Penning and his pro team to spend half the 2022 season acclimating him as a backup before working him into the starting lineup.



In the ground game, Penning has some real nastiness to him. He can knock defenders out of their gaps and ride them around the field. Penning blocks through the whistle and is very physical at the point of attack, regularly planting defenders into the ground with serious force. Penning will violently shove defenders, push theming around and challenging them to hold in their gaps. Penning is a bully on the field who fights hard and finishes off defenders with zero hesitation. He might earn some penalties for being too physical, but he sets a nasty tone and defenders are in for a long day of work when they face him. Additionally, Penning is quick out of stance and can get to blocks on the second level, so that combined with his drive-block ability makes him a great fit for either a zone blocking or power man scheme at the next level.

Penning looks like he possesses the ability to be a good starting left tackle in the NFL. His team could also use him as an excellent right tackle. Penning is likely a future first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.



Player Comparison: Bryan Bulaga. Bulaga (6-5, 314) and Penning are similar size, with both having plus athleticism and some nastiness as blockers. Bulaga was a late first-rounder, and Penning should go in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

2022 NFL Draft Player Previews - Choose Player 2022 NFL Draft Player Previews - Home Adam Anderson, OLB, Georgia Calvin Austin, WR, Memphis Tyler Badie, RB, Missouri Amaré Barno, OLB, Virginia Tech Andrew Booth, CB, Clemson David Bell, WR, Purdue Nik Bonitto, OLB, Oklahoma Jaquan Brisker, S, Penn State Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas Zachary Carter, DE, Florida Leo Chenal, LB, Wisconsin Lewis Cine, S, Georgia Damone Clark, LB, LSU Micheal Clemons, DE, Texas A&M Bryan Cook, S, Cincinnati James Cook, RB, Georgia Yusuf Corker, S, Kentucky Matt Corral, QB, Ole Miss Charles Cross, OT, Mississippi State Nick Cross, S, Maryland Jordan Davis, DT, Georgia Nakobe Dean, LB, Georgia Jahan Dotson, WR, Penn State Greg Dulcich, TE, UCLA Arnold Ebiketie, DE, Penn State Kaiir Elam, CB, Florida Ikem Ekwonu, OT, N.C. State Martin Emerson, CB, Mississippi State Kingsley Enagbare, DE, South Carolina Daniel Faalele, OT, Minnesota Luke Fortner, C, Kentucky Ahmad 'Sauce' Gardner, CB, Cincinnati Luke Goedeke, G, Central Michigan Kyler Gordon, CB, Washington Kenyon Green, G, Texas A&M Breece Hall, RB, Iowa State Logan Hall, DE, Houston Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame Christian Harris, LB, Alabama Daxton Hill, S, Michigan Chasen Hines, G, LSU Sam Howell, QB, North Carolina Aidan Hutchinson, DE, Michigan Ed Ingram, G, LSU Drake Jackson, DE, USC Jermaine Johnson, DE, Florida State Zion Johnson, G, Boston College Travis Jones, DT, Connecticut Kerby Joseph, S, Illinois Cam Jurgens, C, Nebraska George Karlaftis, DE, Purdue Darian Kinnard, OT, Kentucky Charlie Kolar, TE, Iowa State DeMarvin Leal, DT, Texas A&M Isaiah Likely, TE, Coastal Carolina Tyler Linderbaum, C, Iowa Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah Drake London, WR, USC Abraham Lucas, OT, Washington State Boye Mafe, DE, Minnesota Phidarian Mathis, DT, Alabama Trey McBride, TE, Colorado State Roger McCreary, CB, Auburn Trent McDuffie, CB, Washington Verone McKinley, S, Oregon John Metchie, WR, Alabama Skyy Moore, WR, Western Michigan Chad Muma, LB, Wyoming David Ojabo, DE, Michigan Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State Cade Otton, TE, Washington Evan Neal, OT, Alabama Josh Paschal, DE, Kentucky Trevor Penning, OT, Northern Iowa Nick Petit-Frere, OT, Ohio State George Pickens, WR, Georgia Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh Alec Pierce, WR, Cincinnati Dameon Pierce, RB, Florida Jalen Pitre, S, Baylor Brock Purdy, QB, Iowa State Bernhard Raimann, OT, Central Michigan Desmond Ridder, QB, Cincinnati John Ridgeway, DT, Arkansas Brian Robinson, RB, Alabama Wan'Dale Robinson, WR, Kentucky Justyn Ross, WR, Clemson Jeremy Ruckert, TE, Ohio State Jamaree Salyer, G, Georgia Tyler Smith, OT, Tulsa Isaiah Spiller, RB, Texas A&M Derek Stingley, CB, LSU Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE, Oregon Cameron Thomas, DE, San Diego State Tyquan Thornton, WR, Baylor Kenneth Walker, RB, Michigan State Rasheed Walker, OT, Penn State Quay Walker, LB, Georgia Travon Walker, DE, Georgia Christian Watson, WR, North Dakota State Zamir White, RB, Georgia Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama Malik Willis, QB, Liberty Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State Perrion Winfrey, DT, Oklahoma Tariq Woolen, CB, UTSA Devonte Wyatt, DT, Georgia Jalen Wydermyer, TE, Texas A&M

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