Saints rookie Trevor Penning is facing an immense amount of pressure

The New Orleans Saints spent one of their two first-round picks on Trevor Penning out of Northern Iowa. Penning will be tasked with the difficult role of filling Terron Armstead’s shoes now that he’s off to Miami for the next chapter of his NFL career.

Penning is going to compete with veteran James Hurst for the starting role and if he ends up winning the job, and even if he doesn’t, the pressure he’ll be facing will be massive.

Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report listed the rookies for this season that are under too much pressure and Penning made the cut.

Ballentine wrote:

"The things that come after that if are not just minor details. They are going to be bumps in the road in Penning’s development. While he is likely to eventually become a franchise left tackle on account of his athleticism, he’s going to have to cut down on the mistakes and address his penchant for getting grabby to realize his potential."

While there certainly is pressure on Penning as there is with any first-round pick, Saints fans aren’t expecting Penning to step in and provide what Armstead provided right away. They know it’s going to take some time for him to gel and become a viable starter. That’s all to be expected with a rookie left tackle.

There’s definitely pressure on Saints rookie Trevor Penning.

A big reason why the Saints were likely okay with Armstead seeking a new team in free agency was that he couldn’t stay healthy. He was going to be way too expensive to spend a boatload of cash on if he can only appear in half of the games.

Penning might not be the same solid option on the left side of the line but the nastiness he can provide will be something the team could desperately use as they look to move on from Armstead.

Yes, Trevor Penning is facing pressure but all first-round rookies do. Fans hopefully know that they’ll need to be patient with him as he learns the ropes.