The New Orleans Saints selected Northern Iowa offensive tackle Trevor Penning in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, No. 19 overall.
Penning will have a chance to start immediately, given the departure of Terron Armstead in free agency. Armstead signed with the Miami Dolphins after a long run with the Saints.
The Saints entered the opening night of the draft with major needs at left tackle and wide receiver, and they filled them both. New Orleans drafted Ohio State wideout Chris Olave with the 11th pick after trading up with the Washington Commanders.
Scouting profile: Trevor Penning
| School | Height | Weight | 40 time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Iowa | 6'7 | 325 | 4.89 |
The frequency with which Penning can be seen throwing or driving his opponent into the ground as a play concludes is flat-out ridiculous. It's not often that kind of nasty play style is paired with such an impressive athletic profile - an underrated factor for offensive linemen - but that's what makes the Northern Iowa product such a fascinating player. There's some projection involved here, as he'll need time to refine his game. For now, that puts Penning behind the consensus top-three tackles in this class. But he could be right there with that supremely talented group a few years from now.
