Trevor Penning is a good athlete with good explosion and agility to get out on the perimeter. In the run game, he is a nasty and physical player. He has a savage temperament and has finished several plays with the defender on the ground. He is extremely powerful at the point of attack and gets consistent vertical movement in the run game. However, due to his size and inability to bend extremely well, leverage issues are of slight concern against smaller edge defenders.

In the passing game, he has been a dominant player in the Missouri Valley Conference. He bends a little at the waist which gets him in trouble at times. He had a couple instances of struggling with the hard inside move by quicker defenders. Although he is a good athlete overall, when he has to move laterally, he has shown instances of struggling. He doesn’t bend exceptionally well, which results in him bending at the waist at times. When his posture isn’t good, it affects his balance while in his pass set. However, he has a powerful punch and is virtually impossible to bull rush. He demonstrates very good length and range and could suffice in the NFL at left tackle. However, he may be a better fit on the right side.

Ideal Role: Starting Offensive Tackle

Scheme Fit: Power run scheme would suit his skillset best but could play in any scheme

FILM EVALUATION

Written by Drae Harris

Games watched: Iowa State (2021), Southern Illinois (2021), North Dakota State (2021)

Best Game Studied: Southern Illinois (2021)

Worst Game Studied: Iowa State (2021)

Balance: He has reps where his posture isn’t consistently at its best. Some of these reps have resulted in him being on the ground. He can bend at the waist at times, as well. But in space and on his sets he carries his frame quite well.

Pass Set: He is good overall in his pass set. He has sufficient initial quickness out of his stance. However, when he has to redirect laterally to handle the hard inside move, he can get his body out of position, which could result in holding penalties.

Competitive Toughness: See Above.

Lateral Mobility: Penning is a good athlete overall in terms of explosion and moving in a straight line. However, he’s just a sufficient lateral mover, specifically when reacting to the hard move inside by a defender. He can also get into trouble when he has to redirect on a defender’s counter, which puts his body in compromised positions.

Length: See Above.

Football IQ: He plays the game with a high-level football IQ. He can identify stunts and games. He plays with his head on a swivel.

Hand Technique: His hand placement is good. He does an excellent job of keeping them within the frame. He also has good latch strength in his hands.

Anchor: See Above.

Power at POA: He has excellent power at the point of attack. His punch is strong and he does a good job of keeping pass rushers out of his frame. He has tremendous lower-body explosion and it shows in his play.

Versatility: He has aligned at both tackle positions at UNI. While I think he could suffice on the left, I think his skill set is ideally suited for the right side.

SCOUT GRADES

TDN Consensus: 85.00 (First Round Value)

Crabbs Grade: 86.00/100

Marino Grade: 86.50/100

Harris Grade: 84.00/100

Sanchez Grade: 82.00/100

Weissman Grade: 85.50/100

Parson Grade: 86.00/100