Top-shelf left-handed quarterbacks are hard to find on the gridiron. But Michael Penix Jr. could be the latest southpaw to reach the NFL.
The Washington QB is one of a number of quarterbacks expected to be taken in the early rounds of the 2024 NFL Draft. Penix excelled in his final season with the Huskies, helping Washington to the Pac-12 title and a near-perfect season. The program's lone blemish came in the national championship game against Michigan.
There most certainly will be a team willing to take the chance on the lefty. But just how high will Penix go in the draft? While he is projected to land outside the core four QB prospects in Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye and J.J. McCarthy, he still could find his way into the first round.
With the NFL Draft about to commence, what has history said about lefty quarterback picks? Here is a look at the highest-drafted left-handed quarterbacks in the NFL.
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Highest-drafted lefty QBs in NFL Draft
Here is the full list of left-handed quarterbacks to be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft in the Super Bowl era (1970 to present):
Michael Vick
- Drafted: 1st overall in 2001 (Falcons)
- College: Virginia Tech
One of the most famous lefty quarterbacks to ever grace the gridiron was Michael Vick. The standout QB out of West Virginia was taken first overall by the Falcons in 2001, and while his left-handed action is unique, it wasn't what stood out the most. Vick changed the quarterback position with the use of his legs, becoming the NFL leader in quarterback rushing yards and was the league's first quarterback to rush for 1,000 yards in a season.
Steve Young
- Drafted: 1st overall in 1984 (Buccaneers)
- College: BYU
The only other left-handed QB to be taken first in their draft class is Steve Young. After a stellar career at BYU, Young embarked on one of the most successful NFL careers who will find. He started his career with the Buccaneers, but made a name for himself with the 49ers, winning three Super Bowls, a Super Bowl MVP and two NFL MVPs during his time in San Francisco.
Tua Tagovailoa
- Drafted: 5th overall in 2020 (Dolphins)
- College: Alabama
The most recent lefty to make the jump from the NCAA to the NFL is Tua Tagovailoa. The current Dolphins starter was famous in college for taking over for Jalen Hurts during the 2017 National Championship, helping Alabama knock off Georgia. It's been an up-and-down start to his NFL career, but Tagovailoa has shown flashes of dominance at the professional level. At 26 years old, there is still plenty of runway for the Hawaiian in the NFL.
Matt Leinhart
- Drafted: 10th overall in 2006 (Cardinals)
- College: USC
There have only ever been three lefty quarterbacks to win a Heisman in college — Terry Bradshaw, Tim Tebow (more on him later) and Matt Leinhart. The former USC signal caller earned the recognition in 2004 after leading the Trojans to an undefeated season. Despite being selected 10th overall by Arizona, Leinhart never carved out a starting role with the team, backing up Kurt Warner for four years before serving in the same role with the Texans and Raiders for his final three years.
Cade McNown
- Drafted: 12th overall in 1999 (Bears)
- College: UCLA
Cade McNown may be not be a well-known name about NFL followers, but those that are in tune with the college football landscape should recognize the former UCLA stud. McNown set numerous program passing and total-offense records with the Bruins during his four-year career in Los Angeles. It resulted in the QB getting taken 12th overall by the Bears in 1999, however injuries and inconsistent play resulted in McNown lasting just two seasons with Chicago before being out of the league by 2003.
Tim Tebow
- Drafted: 15th overall in 2010 (Broncos)
- College: Florida
Is there an argument to be made that Tim Tebow is the most famous lefty quarterback on the collegiate scene? While his NFL tenure did not turn out quite like some expected, the former Florida QB was sensational in his time with the Gators. Tebow became the first underclassman to win the Heisman when he did so as a sophomore, and led Florida to two BCS National Championship titles. In his long season as Denver's starter, he helped the Broncos to a playoff appearance — and win — but he fell into a backup/reserve role for the remainder of his football career before making the switch to baseball.
Todd Marinovich
- Drafted: 24th overall in 1991 (Raiders)
- College: USC
"Robo Quarterback" Todd Marinovich was more known for his rigorous training as a child than he was for being one of the few lefty quarterbacks. The former USC QB was made famous thanks to his father's abnormal decision to try and mold Marinovich into the "perfect athlete." He had a complicated time at USC, including suspensions, arrests and injuries, but the Raiders took him 24th overall in 1991. He lasted just two seasons in the NFL before drug-related problems forced him out of the league.
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Michael Penix Jr. stats
Penix played four seasons at Indiana before transferring to Washington for his final two years. He was a starter in five of his six seasons between the Hoosiers and the Huskies, although he never played more than seven games in a season with Indiana due to injury issues.
The lefty QB enjoyed a breakout once he arrived in Washington and reunited with Kalen DeBoer. He stayed healthy in his two seasons with the Huskies and emerged as a Heisman Trophy contender as a senior.
Below is a look at Penix's passing stats from his six seasons with the Hoosiers and Huskies:
| Year | Games | Comp | Att | Comp. % | Yds | TDs | INTs | Y/a | Rating |
| 2018 | 3 | 21 | 34 | 61.8 | 219 | 1 | 0 | 6.4 | 125.6 |
| 2019 | 7 | 110 | 160 | 68.8 | 1,394 | 10 | 4 | 8.7 | 157.6 |
| 2020 | 6 | 124 | 220 | 56.4 | 1,645 | 14 | 4 | 7.5 | 136.5 |
| 2021 | 5 | 87 | 162 | 53.7 | 939 | 4 | 7 | 5.8 | 101.9 |
| 2022 | 13 | 362 | 554 | 65.3 | 4,641 | 31 | 8 | 8.4 | 151.3 |
| 2023 | 15 | 363 | 555 | 65.4 | 4,903 | 36 | 11 | 8.8 | 163.5 |
| Totals | 49 | 1,067 | 1,685 | 63.3 | 13,741 | 96 | 34 | 8.2 | 146.6 |
Michael Penix Jr. mock draft
Mock draft projection: No. 47 overall
Sporting News' seven-round mock draft has the Giants selecting Penix with the 47th overall selection. New York is searching for a potential replacement for Daniel Jones, and if they don't use a first-round pick on J.J. McCarthy or another quarterback, getting Penix at this point would be a steal.
This is what SN's Vinnie Iyer said about his projection of Penix to the Giants:
"Penix will just miss the first-round cut, as he has more injury concerns than the top-five QB prospects. This curveball by the Giants makes sense because Penix's big arm meshes with the philosophy of Brian Daboll and Mike Kafka."
