With the 19th overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, the New Orleans Saints selected Northern Iowa OT Trevor Penning. What will Penning’s rookie contract look like, and where does he project into the Saints’ current depth chart?
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Trevor Penning drafted 19th overall by the New Orleans Saints
Penning was a finalist for the Walter Payton Award and a first-team All-MVFC selection in 2021. He will be the sixth Northern Iowa offensive lineman drafted since 1967, but the first ever from the program to be selected in the first round. The previous highest selection from Northern Iowa was DT James Jones at 57th overall by the Cleveland Browns in 1991.
Penning’s projected rookie contract
Because Penning was the 19th overall selection in the 2022 NFL Draft, this is what his projected rookie contract should look like. Contract numbers are from Over the Cap.
- Total Value: $16.0 million
- Signing Bonus: $8.8 million
- 2022 Base Salary: $705,000
- 2022 Cap Number: $2.9 million
Penning’s strengths and areas to improve
Here is a snapshot of what the Saints will be getting with the selection of Penning. For further information, check out Penning’s full scouting report.
Strengths
- Quick off the snap, explosive, and gets after blocks
- Annihilates opponents once engaged at the point and displays terrific power
- Displays outstanding vision, works hard to get a pad on opponents, and buries defenders as a run blocker
Areas for improvement
- Lacks quick and natural footwork off the edge
- Can lose his balance against longer opponents
- Sometimes bends at the waist and struggles to attain proper leverage
How does Penning project in the Saints’ depth chart?
The Saints lucked out. Penning fell into their laps to play left tackle for them for the foreseeable future. There was a giant hole on the left side of New Orleans’ offensive line, and Penning slides right in to protect Jameis Winston.
Penning has made a name for himself for being a menace on the field. “Physical” isn’t enough for Penning. He’s far more than that. Penning plays to and through the whistle, with both positive and negative effects. He was the most penalized player in college football — he’ll need to clean that up at the NFL level.
Left tackle was the team’s most significant need. Getting one of the top four at 19 was not something we expected to start the day.
When do the Saints pick next in the 2022 NFL Draft?
As of the time they drafted Penning, the Saints have these remaining picks in the 2022 NFL Draft.
- Round 2 (Pick 49)
- Round 5 (Pick 161)
- Round 6 (Pick 194 from Eagles)
For the full results and upcoming draft order, check out our pick-by-pick tracker for the 2022 NFL Draft.
