
When the Atlanta Falcons drafted Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, it sent shudders and gasps across the NFL landscape. The Falcons had just made a huge commitment to veteran Kirk Cousins, after all, and Atlanta is not blessed with the breadth of talent to sacrifice a first-round pick on a player who doesn’t appear to have a path to immediate playing time.