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Brugler on Penton
32. AARION PENTON | Missouri 5094|198 lbs|4SR St. Louis, Mo. (Christian Brothers) 9/3/1994 (age 22)
BACKGROUND: A three-star athlete recruit out of high school, Penton was an All-State two-way player at Christian Brothers Academy and committed to Missouri as a junior before any other programs had a chance to recruit him. He stayed on defense for the Tigers and saw immediate playing time, starting two games for the injured E.J. Gaines and recording his first career interception. Penton became a full-time starter as a sophomore (12 starts) and posted 36 tackles, 13 passes defended and three interceptions in 2014. He started all 12 games as a junior in 2015 and finished with 59 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, nine passes defended and one interception. Penton started 11 games as a senior and led the SEC with five interceptions, adding 43 tackles and 17 passes defended to earn First Team All-SEC honors. He accepted his invitation to the 2017 East-West Shrine Game before being added to the 2017 Senior Bowl roster.
STRENGTHS: Alert athlete to recognize routes and combos…reads the eyes of the quarterback with a natural feel for what the offense wants to do…quick-footed and moves with urgency…looks to get receivers uncomfortable and not shy to engage at the top of routes…takes advantage of poor decisions with outstanding ball production…tracks the ball well over his shoulder and finished his career with 41 passes defended and 10 interceptions, including a SEC-best five interceptions (and one touchdown) in 2016…looks to sting in run support and throttles down to make open-field stops…competes with a brash attitude and permanent chip on his shoulder…battled tested with 37 career starts in the SEC.
WEAKNESSES: Undersized with a shorter stature and poor length…average overall athlete with poor long-speed, struggling to close the gap once receivers gain a step vertically…has some hip tightness that hinders his body burst…finds himself turned around in coverage with messy footwork, allowing savvy receivers to separate and create plays…bites on play action with inconsistent coverage angles and reaction to movement…lack of functional strength shows when attempting to get physical with receivers…frame presents obvious concerns about his ability to out-position bigger wideouts downfield…reckless tackling technique due to his size and wild technique, allowing ballcarriers out of his grasp…stays glued to blocks…lack of size leads to durability worries.
SUMMARY: A three-year starter at Missouri, Penton played outside cornerback for the Tigers with experience moving inside in nickel situations. He is quicker than fast, showing the initial movements to stick with receivers, but his deep speed is an issue. His chaotic footwork in his transition leads to balance problems, which then leads to receivers being able to separate. Despite his shortcomings, he has a genuine love for the game and his fearless attitude will serve him well at the next level. Overall, Penton has the ball production, especially as a senior, and toughness that will give him a chance, but his lack of size, speed and explosive traits will limit his landing spots in the NFL – best chance will be to earn a nickel role.
