As the dust begins to settle on the 2024 NFL Draft, my mind is still racing. The Vikings executed a masterclass to get McCarthy and Turner. Six quarterbacks went in the first round. And defensive players were wildly underrepresented. But one moment still has me befuddled. That’s the Atlanta Falcons drafting Washington quarterback and Heisman runner-up Michael Penix Jr. eighth overall.

This past offseason, the Falcons signed former Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins to a 4 year, $180 million deal and brought in more offensive weapons around him like Darnell Mooney and Rondale Moore. Going into the draft, it seemed like a lock that one of the teams in the top ten that would not be drafting a quarterback was the Atlanta Falcons. Especially with the three top dogs, Williams, Maye, and Daniels guaranteed to be off the board. Terry Fontenot had other thoughts. He took the soon to be 24 year-old quarterback with a history of injuries eighth overall and neglected their needs on the defensive side of the ball.

Before we really delve into this topic, I want it to be known that I’m not bashing Penix. If you go back and listen to this past season of Is It Saturday Yet?, I was a staunch defender of Penix all season and advocated for him to win the Heisman trophy. I think he’s a dog with a lot of guts and potential. I just think that Atlanta taking him where they took him shows a lack of maturity from the entire Falcons front office.

What Does This Mean For Kirk Cousins?

This offseason, Minnesota opted to not re-sign Kirk Cousins and let him walk. And he walked right into the hands of the Atlanta Falcons and inked a 4 year, $180 million dollar deal. It’s a massive contract to become the next guy in Atlanta despite him coming off season-ending achilles tear on October 29th. All reports are pointing towards Cousins’ rehab going well and that he’ll be ready for the season. So by that logic, Atlanta has their quarterback at least for this season, but also for the foreseeable future. Right?

Terry Fontenot and the Falcons front office thought otherwise and took Penix Jr. When asked about the pick, Fontenot stated “If you believe in a quarterback, you have to take him,“. He added “And if he sits for four or five years, that’s a great problem to have because we’re doing so well at that position. So, it’s as simple as, if you see a guy you believe in at that position, you have to take him.” That’s a wild thought process, especially when you consider that Penix will be 24 when the season starts. If he sits for four seasons, then he’s taking his first meaningful snaps as a 28 year old.

On top of that, this pick wasn’t one that the Falcons discussed with Cousins until the 13th hour. When they were on the clock, Fontenot and the front office alerted Cousins of the move. Per his agent, Cousins was “shocked” and “disappointed“. Those two factors are set to create a concoction of disaster.

With So Much Defensive Talent On The Board, Why Take A Quarterback?

Outside of the fact that it doesn’t make sense to ink Cousins to a massive deal and then take his successor, this pick bewilders me because the Falcons have holes all over their defense. Yes, they do have names like Grady Jarrett, Jessie Bates III, A.J. Terrell, and Lorenzo Carter, but those guys alone can’t win you games. You need a well-rounded defense with better depth and young players to build around. With where the Falcons were picking, they had their pick of the litter. No defensive players had been taken so they could’ve had whoever they wanted.

The first name that comes to mind is Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy II. He’s a dual-threat defensive tackle that lacks length, but makes up for it with his vicious hand fighting. In 2023 for the Longhorns, he had 29 tackles and 5 sacks. Pairing him with Grady Jarrett so he can learn under a player with a similar frame and play style would’ve benefited both Murphy II and the Falcons.

Another name is Alabama outside linebacker Dallas Turner. Turner is probably the best pass rusher in the draft and he slipped to the 17th pick. Atlanta was 21st in sacks last season and they lost Calais Campbell in the offseason. They also didn’t fill in that need in free agency. Taking Turner, who had 9 sacks last season, or even Laiatu Latu, who had 13 sacks last season, would have made the most sense.

Even if Atlanta felt like they were set in the front seven, they could have, and should have, selected one of the corners in this year’s stacked class. Whether it was Quinyon Mitchell from Toledo, Terrion Arnold from Alabama, Cooper DeJean from Iowa, or Nate Wiggins from Clemson, they could’ve selected one of these young corners to pair with A.J. Terrell, who is one of the league’s premier lockdown defenders. When you consider all the help they need on defense, the pick of Penix becomes more head-scratching.

A Weapon For Cousins Would’ve Been A Better Option

I can even look past Atlanta not taking a defender. It’s tough to do so, but I can do it. Even at that, the Falcons should’ve looked to add a weapon for Cousins to further elevate their offense above their competitors in the NFC South.

With Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier in the backfield along with this year’s running back class being a weak one, taking a running back at eight wouldn’t have made much sense. That thought is off the board. Atlanta could have looked to replicate the model that New England had for many years of going dual tight end by taking Brock Bowers. Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez acted as a thunder and lightning duo, one being a brute pass catcher who was an elite run blocker, the other as a crafty and quick route runner. With Kyle Pitts and Brock Bowers, you get two guys who are elite threats in the pass game and one of the best run blockers in the draft in Bowers.

A different option would’ve been to take a receiver. The two surefire guys, Harrison Jr. and Nabers, were off the board, but there were still great options available in this deep class. Rome Odunze was picked ninth by Chicago and would’ve fit alongside Drake London nicely. Even Brian Thomas Jr. or Xavier Worthy could have worked. There were options to better the Falcons offense that wasn’t selecting Michael Penix Jr.