One of, if not the biggest, surprises of the 2024 NFL Draft was the selection of Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. 8th overall. The shock came because the Falcons signed former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract this offseason.
There’s no doubt why people are questioning this decision, considering Penix is almost 24 years old and would be 28 if Cousins completed his entire contract. The reason people are criticizing the selection is why the Falcons went with this pick.
While Penix may not help the team win this season, or the season after that, or the season after that, or even the season after that, for Atlanta, it’s about securing the talents for the future.
Assistant general manager Kyle Smith, who joined the team in 2021, gave more insight into their thought process, saying it all depends on the long-term plan.
“It was an unsettling feeling sitting there in ’21,” Smith said (via the team website). “I’ll never forget sitting there with Terry and saying, ‘OK, well, what’s our future? What’s our plan for the future? How are we going to solidify ourselves later?'”
He added: “It’s not just about this year or next year. It’s about five years at a minimum.”
In a ideal world for the Falcons, Cousins succeeds while Penix learns from him on the bench and the rising rookie is still on the team and ready to play in five years. If all goes according to plan, the Falcons will have the last laugh, but for now, they’re getting confused looks.
Of their previous drafts, the last three all featuring top-10 picks, Smith said this year was different.
“This is the first year we’ve sat here and stared at a player that we think can be that guy,” he said.
How all this will make Cousins feel is another question that has been circulating around the NFL world, but despite drafting a quarterback so high, the Falcons maintain they have full confidence in the 35 year old player.
“What we did to get Kirk Cousins should show everyone what we believe in Kirk Cousins,” Smith said. “He’s our guy. We settled in. Then in the draft, Michael Penix was there. He’s a quarterback – a young quarterback – that we believe in. We pulled the trigger. … I mean, That’s as clear as I can say it.”
If Cousins ends up getting injured or doesn’t live up to expectations, Atlanta has a first-round pick to fall back on. In a league so driven by the quarterback, the team has placed more emphasis on that position.
While adding weapons to Cousins or using the pick to bolster the veteran’s protection might have been a better decision to win now, the Falcons are confident their future is secure because of the decisions they made.
