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The first round of the 2024 NFL Draft was supposed to be full of chaos.
But for seven picks, it was about as calm as you could imagine.
Then the Atlanta Falcons went on the clock and shocked the sports world by selected Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr.
We got a SOUTHpaw
Welcome to ATL, @themikepenix!
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) April 26, 2024
The move comes just months after Atlanta signed Kirk Cousins to a lucrative, long-term deal in free agency.
The #Falcons signed Kirk Cousins to a 4-year, $180M contract THIS OFFSEASON with $100M guaranteed. They still go quarterback at No. 8. https://t.co/SSj5wwBhGw
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) April 26, 2024
Penix, who was a Heisman Trophy finalist in 2023 and led the Huskies to the College Football Playoff championship game, was projected to be a first-round pick. But he wasn’t expected to go within the top 10 and certainly not to Atlanta, who most draft analysts believed would draft a player to help its beleaguered defense.
Fans, reporters and everyone in between was stunned by the pick.
Michael Penix Jr. seeing the Falcons draft him pic.twitter.com/Ipp8xEf1ee
— #RingerNFL (@ringernfl) April 26, 2024
I swear this team exists solely to vex me
— Jeanna Kelley (@jeannathomas) April 26, 2024
Falcons fans seeing their team take Michael Penix in the top 10 after paying Kirk Cousins $180 million pic.twitter.com/oCHN23gqhb
— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) April 26, 2024
His face when I broke the Penix news https://t.co/HtI1WieZsI pic.twitter.com/OmYm9VB8Dm
— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) April 26, 2024
Falcons picking Penix is cool as hell and also, um, the product of a very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very questionable thought process.
— Bill Connelly (@ESPN_BillC) April 26, 2024
THE FALCONS TOOK PENIX?!?
Did they not just go out and sign Kirk Cousins??? What is happening??
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) April 26, 2024
You give Cousins a ton of money then spend a 1sf on a qb. Ok then https://t.co/BA4vRRiz5e pic.twitter.com/V5SZ8acVKf
— Manny Syed (@mannysyed) April 26, 2024
If the pick wasn’t weird enough on the surface, Penix will turn 24 in May and will be 28 before the completion of the Cousins contract.
Michael Penix will be 24 before he takes a snap in the NFL.
They signed Kirk Cousins to a 4-year, $180 million contract.
Drafting an older rookie 8th overall to be a backup QB to a guy you just signed to a massive contract makes no sense https://t.co/72bo32ByuN
— Philadelphia Eagles Central (@pheaglescentral) April 26, 2024
Make it make sense!