When the Atlanta Falcons selected quarterback Michael Penix Jr. in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft, many around the league were highly critical of the pick. While Penix was projected to go somewhere in the first round, Atlanta wasn’t on anyone’s radar as a landing spot.
It’s been less than a year since the Falcons drafted the former Washington Huskies QB and the criticism has mostly turned to optimism. Penix played well enough over the final three games of the year to justify being the No. 8 overall pick.
Despite a strong year from this year’s crop of rookie quarterbacks, there’s a good chance that Penix would go even higher if the 2024 NFL draft were to be held today.
In NFL.com’s 2024 re-draft, the Falcons rookie didn’t even make it out of the top five. Instead, the New York Giants moved up to pick No. 5 to snag Penix out from under Atlanta:
The Giants use their mulligan to trade up one spot for Michael Penix Jr., securing their franchise QB and overwriting the disastrous Daniel Jones/Drew Lock/Tommy DeVito/Tim Boyle debacle of 2024. Giving up Malik Nabers is certainly not ideal, and we did consider a scenario where New York kept the elite WR and then targeted its new franchise passer with the third overall pick in the 2025 draft. — NFL.com’s Ali Bhanpuri & Tom Blair
With Kirk Cousins’ sudden decline putting his future with the team in doubt, Penix gives the Falcons stability at the game’s most important position. However, Atlanta still made out okay in NFL.com’s 2024 re-draft.
At pick No. 8, the Falcons land a dominant defender in Jared Verse. The Florida State edge rusher was just awarded the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year following a stellar rookie season for the Los Angeles Rams:
The Falcons would surely love to re-draft Penix — their original pick, whose selection would seem a lot less unorthodox now that we know he ended up taking the QB reins from Kirk Cousins during the season — but the promising youngster is gone. So Atlanta jumps on Jared Verse, whose Pro Bowl efforts helped the Rams do what the Falcons could not: climb out of the NFC’s middle class and reach the postseason. — NFL.com’s Ali Bhanpuri & Tom Blair
Hindsight is 20/20, but the Falcons have to feel vindicated after so many criticized their decision to double up at the quarterback position. Cousins may have been an expensive mistake, however, Penix’s promise makes it easier to digest.
The Falcons will likely attempt to upgrade their defense in the 2025 NFL draft, assuming they don’t take a wide receiver in Round 1.