The Atlanta Falcons made one of the most surprising NFL Draft picks in recent memory. With the No. 8 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Falcons decided to select Washington signal caller and Heisman Trophy finalist Michael Penix Jr., giving them a successor for whenever the Kirk Cousins era comes to an end.
We got a SOUTHpaw
Welcome to ATL, @themikepenix!
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) April 26, 2024
The move came way out of left field, as many mock drafts had the Falcons attempting to add a defensive player for new head coach Raheem Morris. While Penix is an interesting prospect, you’d be hard-pressed to find too many people who thought he would go in the top-10 (JJ McCarthy was widely expected to be the fourth QB off the board), let alone to a team that has its starting quarterback for at least a couple years.
The move is especially surprising considering that the Falcons signed Kirk Cousins to a big money deal over four years earlier this offseason. Cousins, a veteran signal caller, went to Atlanta to be the team’s starter, and while anything can happen, it is a bit curious to take a signal caller who is going to turn 24 in May — if Cousins plays out his contract, Penix won’t take a snap as the team’s starter until he is nearly 30 years old.
The silver lining is that Penix is a good player, and has one of the best arms in this Draft. Regardless, this marriage of team and player will certainly come under scrutiny, as it’s worth wondering if Atlanta could have used this to fill a bigger need.
