Getty Image / Rich Storry
When the Atlanta Falcons selected Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth-overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, nobody could believe the pick. After all, the team had just paid free agent Kirk Cousins big money in a bid to compete now, and Penix would have to sit behind him while already being 24-years-old.
Penix has looked good in training camp and the preseason so far, but that doesn’t make the pick make any more sense than it did before. Now, with the team adding two defensive stars in safety Justin Simmons and edge rusher Matthew Judon in the last two days, it looks worse than ever.
On Wednesday, the Falcons gave up a third-round pick to acquire Judon, who has starred for the New England Patriots the last three seasons with nearly a sack per game played. The Falcons will likely need to get an extension done for Judon, but they should be able to do that.
On Thursday, they upgraded the defense even further, signing the best free agent left on the board in safety Justin Simmons to a one-year $8 million deal.
That seems like a great deal for a player that has been a second-team All-Pro selection four of the last five seasons, including the last season. Putting him alongside arguably the NFL’s best safety in Jessie Bates III will likely form the best safety tandem in the league this upcoming season. They’re solid at corner too, with AJ Terrell being an All-Pro there, and all of a sudden a defense that was a major weakness has significantly improved.
What does this have to do with Michael Penix? It’s nothing against him, as all indications are so far that he will be a solid quarterback for a long time in the league. But, clearly, this is a franchise attempting to quickly become a contender in the NFC South with one of the league’s best offenses on paper and a revamped defense.
That pick could’ve went to drafting a player that could’ve helped them this year, such as a pass-catcher like Rome Odunze, an offensive lineman like Olu Fashanu, or a twitchy edge rusher like Dallas Turner. They could’ve used that pick to trade down a little bit and potentially fill two holes on defense, especially in the linebacker unit.
Ultimately, that pick could’ve been better spent, and I’m sure that Falcons management will realize that during this season when a hole in the roster costs them.