The Atlanta Falcons have built the biggest shock collection of the 2024 NFL Draft.
With the No. 8 overall collection, the workforce drafted quarterback Michael Penix Jr. out of Washington.
Maddie Meyer/Getty Photographs
Penix completed next in Heisman trophy voting in 2023 at the rear of LSU’s quarterback Jayden Daniels, who was chosen No. 2 general by the Washington Commanders.
The Falcons have been commonly anticipated to just take edge rusher Dallas Turner out of Alabama, having said that, they in its place picked a quarterback despite signing Kirk Cousins to a 4-12 months, $180 million offer this offseason.
With Cousins in tow for the following four seasons, Penix will sit and learn for at least a couple of them, barring an damage. Cousins is coming off a torn Achilles, but the Falcons ended up assured more than enough to give him $180 million this offseason.
Cousins is a 4-time Professional Bowler in 2016, 2019, 2021 and 2022. In his last total time in 2022, he threw for 4,547 yards and 29 touchdowns to go alongside with 14 interceptions. He led the Minnesota Vikings to a 13-4 document that time. Having said that, they ended up upset in the Wild Card spherical by the New York Giants.
As for Penix, he isn’t really the healthiest quarterback himself, as he experienced two torn ACLs in college. Having said that, his talent is unquestioned, and he put it all jointly in 2023 when he led the complete FBS in passing yards with 4,903 to go along with 36 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
Penix led the Huskies all the way to the National Championship game, exactly where they dropped to Michigan and quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who amazingly fell guiding Penix in the draft.
In total, Penix performed six seasons of faculty soccer, with his closing two years coming at Washington following shelling out his initial 4 at Indiana. Whilst his ultimate time was his finest, Penix also had a dominant 2022 season, in which he threw for 4,641 yards and 31 touchdowns to just eight interceptions. That calendar year, he completed eighth in the Heisman trophy voting.
Penix gets the fourth quarterback taken in the to start with 8 picks, signing up for Caleb Williams, Daniels, and Drake Maye, who went to the Chicago Bears, Commanders, and New England Patriots, respectively.
Penix has shot up draft boards in excess of the last several weeks, and is now a leading eight assortment irrespective of his harm heritage. It can be unclear what his quick function will be, and how extensive he’ll have to wait around to enjoy at the NFL degree, but the Falcons obviously saw a little something in Penix, and did not want to pass up out on what they most likely see as a generational quarterback prospect.
Unheard of Knowledge
Newsweek is dedicated to tough common knowledge and obtaining connections in the look for for widespread ground.
Newsweek is dedicated to tough common wisdom and finding connections in the research for prevalent floor.
