The award for most surprising pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft definitely goes to the Atlanta Falcons, who shocked everyone Thursday night by taking Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth overall pick.
The Falcons were so secretive about their pick that they didn’t even let Kirk Cousins know it was going to happen. During the draft broadcast, NFL Media’s Daniel Jeremiah revealed that Cousins and his camp had no idea the Falcons were going to take a quarterback with their first pick.
Cousins’ agent, Mike McCartney, made it clear, via NFL Network, that Penix’s choice was “a big surprise.”
“We had no idea this was going to happen. The truth is the entire league had no idea this was going to happen. We had no information. Kirk got a call from the Falcons while they were at chronometer. This is the first time we have heard it has never appeared in any conversation.
The Falcons tried to smooth things over by calling a stunned Cousins to talk to him about the pick while they were ON THE CLOCK, but that didn’t help matters, according to The Athletic. Cousins was “shocked” and “disappointed” by Atlanta’s decision to take a quarterback, according to NFL Media.
It’s easy to understand why Cousins was so surprised. The Falcons just signed him to a four-year, $180 million contract last March, so he had every reason to believe he was going to become Atlanta’s undisputed starting quarterback for the next few years, but now the Falcons have put a damper on things. Cousins’ contract only includes $90 million guaranteed, so the Falcons will be able to walk away after just two seasons if they decide to move on to Penix. Not to mention, Penix is also a solid insurance policy for Cousins, who missed most of the 2023 season with a torn Achilles.
The decision to take Penix with the eighth overall pick was a bold move by the Falcons, but it was one that could certainly end up creating drama in Atlanta.
