One of the, if not the, biggest surprises of the 2024 NFL Draft was the Atlanta Falcons selecting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. at No. 8 overall. The shock came because the Falcons signed former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins this offseason to a four-year, $180 million deal.
It is no question why people are questioning this move, considering that Penix is nearly 24 and would be 28 if Cousins plays out his entire contract. The reason people are criticizing the selection is why the Falcons went with the 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 is about securing talent for the future.
Assistant General Manager Kyle Smith, who joined the team in 2021, gave more insight into their thought process, saying it is all about the long-term plan.
“It was an unsettling feeling, sitting there in ’21,” Smith said (via team’s website). “I’ll never forget sitting there with Terry and being like, ‘OK, well, what’s our future? What’s our plan for the future? How are we going to solidify down the road?'”
He added, “It’s not just about this year or next year. It’s about five years, minimum.”
In an 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 it all works out as they schemed, the Falcons will get the last laugh, but for now they are getting some confused looks.
Of their previous drafts, the last three all including top-10 picks, Smith said this year felt different.
“This is the first year that we were sitting there and staring down the barrel at a player that we think can be that guy,” he said.
How this all will make Cousins feel is another question that has circulated the NFL world, but despite selecting a quarterback so high, the Falcons maintain that they have full faith in the 35-year-old.
“What we did to get Kirk Cousins should tell everybody what we believe in Kirk Cousins,” Smith said. “He’s our guy. We set ourselves up. Then, in the draft, Michael Penix was there. It’s a quarterback — a young quarterback — that we believe in. We pulled that trigger. … I mean, that’s as clear as I can say it.”
If Cousins ends up getting injured or does not live up to expectations, Atlanta has a first-round pick to fall back on. In a league so driven by the quarterback, the team put extra emphasis on that position.
While adding some weapons for Cousins, or using the pick to beef up protection for the veteran may have been a better move to win now, the Falcons are confident that their future is secure with the decisions they made.