Day 1 of the 2024 NFL draft has concluded and it did not disappoint. Up until the 8th overall pick, the draft had been going pretty chalk. Then the Atlanta Falcons shocked the league by taking quarterback Micheal Penix Jr. 8th overall. There’s been much controversy on this pick so let’s take a look and see what this pick is really all about.
The Good
Penix is a phenomenal prospect and definitely worthy to go first round. Penix has the rocket arm and athleticism to justify taking him top 10.
An underrated part of the pick is letting Penix sit behind Cousins for a year or two the figure things out as a backup. Penix could learn a lot from a veteran QB in Kirk Cousins and could no doubt change a lot of minds coming into Atlanta.
The Middle
The only problem with taking Penix this early is the other candidates on the board. Dallas Turner, Laiatu Latu, Rome Odunze were all on the board but instead you get the most important position a couple of picks earlier. Importantly, the projected spot for Penix was late first round maybe even late second. Nevertheless, the Falcons got their guy and are ready to roll.
The Bad
Kirk Cousins doesn’t seem to be to happy with the pick. The Falcons called Cousins earlier in the week and informed him they’d be taking a quarterback in the later rounds. Naturally, Cousins was shocked when Penix was taken at eighth. Cousins was “stunned at the news” per ESPN’s Dianna Russini.
This very much looks like Terry Fontenot trying to explain himself #Falcons #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/1vl7CgIrfV
— Cody Chaffins (@CodyChaffins) April 26, 2024
This probably isn’t the greatest sign considering the organization just paid Cousins 100 million guaranteed to come play quarterback for them. This could play out like another Jordan Love situation where Atlanta keeps Penix in their back pocket for years.
Overall, I think the good trumps the bad by a small margin and gives the Atlanta’s fanbase something to look forward to. The question now remains: Will Kirk Cousins stay healthy?
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