Robert Griffin III Names 'Best Pure Passer' From 2024 NFL Draft Class

NEW YORK, NY – DECEMBER 09: Jayden Daniels quarterback LSU, Marvin Harrison Jr. wide receiver from Ohio State, Bo Nix quarterback, Oregon, Michael Penix Jr, quarterback, Washington pose with the Trophy during the Heisman Trophy press conference at the New York Marriott Marquis on December 9, 2023 in New York City, New York. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) Icon Sportswire/Getty Images

ESPN analyst and former Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III likes a lot of quarterbacks in this year’s NFL Draft. But there’s one who stands out as the best “pure passer” in the entire class.

Taking to X on Friday, Griffin declared that Washington quarterback and Heisman finalist Michael Penix Jr. is the best pure passer for a litany of reasons. He finds that Penix’s downfield vision is elite and recalled a pass that was so good he could hear it whistle from the booth from the wind it tore through.

“Michael Penix Jr. is the THE BEST PURE PASSER in this draft class. True Eagle Eye in the pocket 15+ yards downfield and had some OUTRAGEOUS throws on tape. In 2022, @themikepenix threw a TD to Wayne Taulapapa that I heard whistle from the booth,” Griffin wrote.

It’s a strong take from Griffin, who is certainly bucking the trend with his statement on Penix. The Washington quarterback currently isn’t even seen as one of the top three quarterback prospects on most draft boards and it’s widely expected that he probably won’t be the fourth taken either.

Some have expressed doubts about Penix over his injury history, while others were not as impressed by the raw numbers that he put up against some of the better teams he faced – particularly the Michigan Wolverines.

There are only a handful of teams that are going to take a quarterback early in the first round, or even in the first round at all. So if Penix falls out of the top 10, there’s a good chance that he’ll fall out of the first round entirely.

Do you feel as bullish on Penix as Robert Griffin III does?