The Atlanta Falcons have made the biggest surprise selection of the 2024 NFL Draft.
With the No. 8 overall selection, the team drafted quarterback Michael Penix Jr. out of Washington.
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Penix finished second in Heisman trophy voting in 2023 behind LSU’s quarterback Jayden Daniels, who was selected No. 2 overall by the Washington Commanders.
The Falcons were widely expected to take edge rusher Dallas Turner out of Alabama, however, they instead selected a quarterback despite signing Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million deal this offseason.
With Cousins in tow for the next four seasons, Penix will sit and learn for at least a few of them, barring an injury. Cousins is coming off a torn Achilles, but the Falcons were confident enough to give him $180 million this offseason.
Cousins is a four-time Pro Bowler in 2016, 2019, 2021 and 2022. In his last full season in 2022, he threw for 4,547 yards and 29 touchdowns to go along with 14 interceptions. He led the Minnesota Vikings to a 13-4 record that season. However, they were upset in the Wild Card round by the New York Giants.
As for Penix, he isn’t the healthiest quarterback himself, as he suffered two torn ACLs in college. However, his talent is unquestioned, and he put it all together in 2023 when he led the entire FBS in passing yards with 4,903 to go along with 36 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
Penix led the Huskies all the way to the National Championship game, where they lost to Michigan and quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who surprisingly fell behind Penix in the draft.
In total, Penix played six seasons of college football, with his final two years coming at Washington after spending his first four at Indiana. While his final season was his best, Penix also had a dominant 2022 season, in which he threw for 4,641 yards and 31 touchdowns to just eight interceptions. That year, he finished eighth in the Heisman trophy voting.
Penix becomes the fourth quarterback taken in the first eight picks, joining Caleb Williams, Daniels, and Drake Maye, who went to the Chicago Bears, Commanders, and New England Patriots, respectively.
Penix has shot up draft boards over the last few weeks, and is now a top eight selection despite his injury history. It’s unclear what his immediate role will be, and how long he’ll have to wait to play at the NFL level, but the Falcons clearly saw something in Penix, and didn’t want to miss out on what they likely see as a generational quarterback prospect.
Uncommon Knowledge
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