Trading back for UW's Michael Penix or Auburn football alum Bo Nix deemed a potential mistake for NFL team
GMENHQ's Desmond Novack believes trading back for either Washington's Michael Penix or Oregon/Auburn football product Bo Nix in the first round of the NFL draft would be a mistake for the New York Giants. And presumably any other franchise as well.
"With all the buzz around the draft recently, it seems like there's a decent chance that one, or both Michael Penix and Bo Nix fall pretty far into the first round," Novack prefaced before saying, "If this happens, we hope the Giants don't get too excited about the chance of trading back into the first round because we really don't think it would be worth it considering their red flags as prospects."
Novack didn't like Penix's propensity to leave the pocket or his injury history, but when it came to Nix, the GMENHQ writer didn't even believe the AU grad and Pinson native was even cut out for the pro ranks.
"(Nix) really just doesn't seem NFL-ready, which is a pretty big problem considering that he'll be 24 when the season starts," Novack prefaced before saying, "He's had one truly successful season in college through five years and it came in an oversimplified Oregon offense that focused on screens and vertical concepts."
Saying Nix had just one successful season ignores the context for why his 2022 season didn't also end in Heisman consideration: a right leg injury against Washington. The run was taken away from Nix completely during and after that fateful meeting with the Huskies.
Bo Nix's Auburn football tenure didn't make him an NFL prospect
Most of Nix's finest collegiate moments came for a contending Oregon in 2022 and 2023. Nix's three years prior on the Plains were not conducive to having any NFL career, and it ended with the AU legacy being miserable and wanting out of Bryan Harsin's dumpster fire tenure.
While Nix did incredible things against Alabama his freshman season, and then later LSU, Arkansas, and Ole Miss as a senior, he will likely more fondly remember his playing days in Eugene than in Auburn.
He claims both schools for a reason, though. Nix met his wife, ex-Auburn cheerleader Izzy Smoke, in his home state and got his bachelor's degree at AU.