Washington's Michael Penix Jr. shows off speed at pro day - ESPN

SEATTLE — On his final throw Thursday, Michael Penix Jr. put a bow on his performance at the University of Washington pro day by unleashing a deep ball that traveled some 75 yards in the air for a completion, showing off the arm talent that has made him one of the top quarterback prospects in this year's draft.

What happened at the start of the workout might have actually been more significant.

That's when Penix posted a sub-4.6-second time in the 40-yard dash, perhaps checking off an important box to the roughly 100 representatives from NFL teams on hand to watch him and several other Huskies who are expected to be selected next month.

According to ESPN's Field Yates, a handful of scouts clocked Penix's lone run at 4.56 to 4.59.

«I'm a 4.4 guy, in my opinion,» Penix, the runner-up for the last season's Heisman Trophy, said afterward. «Some people had 4.46, some people had 4.5, but that's unofficial, so I'm good. I just showed I can run, so I feel good.»

Penix's speed has been something of a question mark after he ran for all of 8 yards on 35 attempts over 15 games last season. He ran for 92 yards in 13 games in 2022 after his first four college seasons, all at Indiana, were cut short by injuries, including a pair of torn ACLs.

Like several other quarterbacks, Penix declined to run the 40 at the scouting combine last month. He ran only once Thursday, opting against a second attempt.

«I was only running one time to show I can run and that's it,» he said. «I was done.»

Penix also posted a 36.5-inch vertical jump and a broad jump of 10 feet, 5 inches — both of which were better than any other quarterback at the combine.

Penix, who has been widely projected to be drafted within the first two rounds, was asked whether he has