Michael Penix Jr.: Grading Atlanta Falcons' No. 8 pick in 2024 NFL Draft

The first shocking pick of the 2024 NFL Draft came at No. 8 overall by the Atlanta Falcons as they selected Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr.

Why was this so shocking? Not only was Penix probably not the best quarterback available on many boards (that was JJ McCarthy), but he is also an injury-prone quarterback so drafting him as insurance to Kirk Cousins didn't make a ton of sense.

Do I think Penix Jr. is a top-10 talent? Yes, I always thought he was way too underrated throughout the draft process. He was expected to fall to the end of the first round, but there was also talk that the Las Vegas Raiders were willing to trade up to draft Penix Jr., so this pick made sense in that regard.

But the Falcons just paid a ton of money to Cousins this offseason. It just doesn't make sense to keep the No. 8 pick and not trade down and get something extra out of it if you're drafting Penix Jr.

It really makes you wonder if the Falcons are confident in Cousins' health coming off an Achilles injury but either way, this was one of the most shocking picks that I can remember.

Grading the Michael Penix Jr. pick

While I'm higher on Penix Jr. than most, it just doesn't make sense, fit-wise. The Falcons just paid $200 million to Cousins so why draft a quarterback with your top-10 pick?

While shocking, there is some value there.

Either way, it just doesn't make a ton of sense for the Falcons to draft a quarterback who is already older and probably won't play for another 3-4 years.