MOBILE, Ala. -- Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. took a moment, gave a slight nod to the question and summed up what a week at the Senior Bowl could mean for him and the rest of the 2024 NFL draft prospects in attendance.
"Here? This is where you can show them what you can do,'' Penix said. "Best of the best here. I've said, every drill, every rep matters, and you want to get the most out of every single one of them. Because everybody here is one of the best at their position. ... So, all [the NFL scouts and personnel executives] get to see you against that and with that."
Penix and Oregon's Bo Nix were the headliners among the seven quarterbacks in the annual invite-only Senior Bowl practices last week. ESPN polled just more than two dozen scouts and personnel executives in attendance at Hancock Whitney Stadium about the draft status of each of the seven passers they saw on the field and what it might mean in April's draft.
While none of the quarterbacks unquestionably rose above the others, those surveyed offered the caveat that there is a significant time left until the draft, including the NFL combine, which begins later this month in Indianapolis, and on-campus pro days.
Here are the takeaways from evaluators at the Senior Bowl, with predicted draft ranges for Penix, Nix and the other five signal-callers, along with where each ranks in Mel Kiper Jr.'s Big Board:
Bo Nix, Oregon
Kiper's position ranking: QB6
Earliest predicted draft range: Bottom third of Round 1
Talent evaluators were in agreement that Nix found another level to his game at Oregon, where he threw 74 touchdown passes and just 10 interceptions over two seasons. The Nix they saw at Auburn wasn't nearly as refined in meshing his physical tools and mobility into consistent, high-level production in the passing game.
That's why execs see the first round as his ceiling. As one NFC South scout said: "It only takes one team to think he's QB3 or QB4.''
If Caleb Williams (USC), Drake Maye (North Carolina) and Jayden Daniels (LSU) are the first three quarterbacks off the board -- and each come off the board in the top eight picks -- that could put Nix, Penix and J.J. McCarthy (Michigan) in play sooner than some current execs' grades indicate.
Latest predicted draft range: Early Round 3
According to one general manager, Penix's medical evaluations -- more on those in a minute -- could have an impact on him moving up and Nix moving down and vice-versa. The latest round a source predicted was "early third, if people come away feeling better about Penix or somebody else."
Evaluators arrived in Mobile wanting to see Nix operate out of the comfort of Oregon's offense, work under center and drive the ball downfield when the opportunity arose. They left Mobile with the feeling Nix hadn't answered those questions. Nix had a spotty practice week in terms of accuracy, especially when he tried to push the ball downfield.
Most likely draft range: Early to middle of Round 2
Michael Penix Jr., Washington
Kiper's position ranking: QB5
Earliest predicted draft range: Bottom third of Round 1
If Penix did not have significant injury history he likely would have had more ardent support in Mobile as the top quarterback in attendance. Despite consistently showing a quality arm during the week, it all comes with a big "if" ahead of medical evaluations at the combine.
Penix played three, six, six and five games, respectively, in his four seasons at Indiana, because of two ACL tears in his right knee and injuries to both shoulders, including his left (throwing) arm.
He had no such issues in two high-octane seasons at Washington, where he threw 67 touchdown passes and 17 interceptions. He said in Mobile he has been cleared by doctors in exams on his knee after the season. But until the teams see for themselves at the combine and decide what they think of those exams, his true draft status might not be known.
"If he clears the medicals, or a team's doctors don't have concerns, I could see a team like that coming back into the first round or something," one NFC general manager told me. "But for me, again, there's a lot of work to be done."
Latest predicted draft range: Day 3
This would be the worst-case scenario if teams come away from the combine with medical concerns. Most of those surveyed said they saw no issues in Penix's movement this week, so it would take a red flag at the combine for him to fall out of Day 2.
Asked in Mobile if he thought teams still had concerns about his health, Penix said, "Possibly, especially given my background. I have been hurt quite a few times in my career, I know that, but whenever they check everything, they're going to see I'm good. And I can continue to show them I'm good.''
Penix is an easy thrower, and the ball comes out of his hand with plenty of pop, but he doesn't always get his lower body involved enough in his throwing motion, even when the pocket is clean. More than one scout pointed to that this week.
Most likely draft range: Day 2
Spencer Rattler, South Carolina
Kiper's position ranking: QB7
Earliest predicted draft range: Bottom of Round 3, top of Round 4
Some scouts said that Rattler, who transferred from Oklahoma in 2022, could help himself the most with a good week in Mobile. But then he and the other quarterbacks on the American roster for the game -- Rattler, Joe Milton III, Michael Pratt and Carter Bradley -- all struggled during Tuesday's practice to open their on-field work. They were slightly better on Wednesday, especially Rattler, but none of the four rose above in the first two practices.
Rattler was inconsistent the past two seasons, throwing 20 interceptions with 37 touchdown passes while completing 67.5% of his passes.
Latest predicted draft range: Bottom third of Round 6, top third of Round 7
Rattler doesn't always use his lower body enough, especially on throws down the field, and he looks as if he is short-arming things at times because of it. And while teams like his off-schedule work and ability to throw on the move, there are times he bails out of the pocket too early. Many of the scouts surveyed said they wanted to see more from Rattler in Mobile.
"There are some things, release, footwork, if he'll put in the work, can improve," an AFC West scout said.
Most likely draft range: Bottom of Round 4
Michael Pratt, Tulane
Kiper's position ranking: QB8
Earliest predicted draft range: Top of Round 4
Pratt, who started 45 games in college, was listed slightly bigger than he actually was when scouts broke out the tape measure and scale in Mobile. Tulane had him at 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds, but he checked in at 6-foot-2⅜ and 216 pounds on Monday.
Pratt's willingness to hang in the pocket to make throws late in the down gives him some upside with evaluators. After completing less than 58% of his passes during his first two collegiate seasons, he was over 63% in 2022 and 2023. Some scouts said this week his "best" draft status could improve to a Day 2 pick as we get closer to the draft.
Latest predicted draft range: Late Round 7 or priority undrafted free agent
Evaluators raised concerns about Pratt's long delivery and impatience in the red zone at times. He isn't the mover some of the other quarterbacks in the class are, which is notable, as the NFL continues to move toward more dual-threat passers. Among those surveyed in Mobile, he was considered most likely to be a Day 3 pick.
Most likely draft range: Bottom third of Round 5, top of Round 6
Joe Milton III, Tennessee
Kiper's position ranking: QB9
Earliest predicted draft range: Middle to late Round 5
The 6-foot-5, 235-pound Milton was the biggest of the quarterbacks in Mobile, and those who saw strengths in his game pointed to a quick release when he is decisive and raw power in the arm. But Milton, a transfer from Michigan who took over for Hendon Hooker in 2023, can struggle with his consistency.
"He makes all the throws with the same velocity, and some easy completions get away from him," said one AFC South scout who saw Milton play several times at Tennessee.
Latest predicted draft range: Priority undrafted free agent
Evaluators said they need to see better decision-making from Milton, particularly when coverages are rolled or changed at the snap. In those situations, he tended to default and leave the pocket when, in some cases, he might not have had to.
Evaluators polled said Milton's physical stature and his arm strength, however, would be enough for a team to draft him on Day 3. Milton completed 64.7% of his passes with 20 touchdowns and five picks in his final season.
Most likely draft range: Round 7
Sam Hartman, Notre Dame
Kiper's position ranking: Outside top 10
Earliest predicted draft range: Middle to late Round 6
The 24-year-old Hartman's age had evaluators somewhat divided. By the time Patrick Mahomes turned 25 -- in September 2020 -- he was a two-time Pro Bowler, a first-team All-Pro, an MVP winner and a Super Bowl champion. Hartman's learning curve could be shorter than other prospects in this class, however, given that he started 57 games over five seasons at Wake Forest and one at Notre Dame.
Latest predicted draft range: Priority undrafted free agent
It's unlikely Hartman would go undrafted given the need for quarterbacks among teams. But it's possible he could have his choice of teams and a tidy signing bonus as an undrafted rookie.
Hartman didn't always look smooth in the Senior Bowl environment, especially on Tuesday, when he and the other quarterbacks on the American roster were out of sync. He also checked in at 6-foot-1 and 209 pounds, undersized for a player who was inclined to pull the ball down and run as much as he did. He had 11 rushing touchdowns for the Demon Deacons in 2021.
Most likely draft range: Round 7
Carter Bradley, South Alabama
Kiper's position ranking: Outside top 10
Earliest predicted draft range: Middle to late Round 7
Bradley, the son of Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, is South Alabama's all-time leading passer (5,995 yards) in just two seasons at the school after he transferred from Toledo in 2022. He played his home games in the stadium where Senior Bowl practices are held.
Most evaluators said they wanted to see him move given he missed two games in 2023 with a knee injury, including the bowl game. He played in the Hula Bowl, another all-star game, earlier this month.
Latest predicted draft range: Undrafted free agent
This was the consensus of those surveyed. However, most added they could see a team select him in Round 7 to avoid competing for him as an undrafted rookie. That's because there's a drop-off expected late on Day 3, when teams make their final adjustments to their draft boards.
Most likely draft range: Undrafted free agent