Trevor Penning has had a rough season

Can the Saints LT turn things around?

The New Orleans Saints had high hopes for 2022 first-round pick Trevor Penning, but the University of Northern Iowa tackle has had a rough start to his career. He missed significant time in his rookie year due to a torn ligament in his foot, and even when he was healthy, he didn’t play much.

This year, Penning started as the team’s starting LT and fans were excited to see the imposing figure start for this team. However, things got ugly rather quickly. He allowed six pressures in 39 pass-blocking snaps, two of which led to sacks.

Things didn’t improve as he allowed 19 pressures in 6 games as starting LT. He also had seven penalties in those six games. Penning has essentially been benched for his poor play, playing just ten snaps in three weeks.

Coming out of college, Penning was known for his fantastic run blocking. He had a 99.9 run-blocking grade per PFF. Unfortunately, this hasn’t translated to the next level. His run-blocking grade this season is 48.9.

A lot of the offensive line has struggled this year. The Saints hired Doug Marrone as the offensive line coach, but it might be time to look elsewhere. The Saints have the 24th-ranked pass-blocking grade as a team per PFF. and average 100 rushing yards a game, ranking 23rd in the league.

It could be coaching, but the Saints need Penning to start showcasing that he was worth spending a first-round NFL Draft pick on.

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