ATLANTA — If nothing else, you can't say the Falcons didn't make waves with their first round draft choice Thursday night.
Atlanta tabbed a quarterback, Washington's Michael Penix Jr., at No. 8 in a move that was roundly described as "shocking."
That was, at least, the gentler way many put it.
The reactions ranged quite a bit more harshly, in some corners. Brian Finneran, the former Falcons wide receiver and 680 The Fan morning show host, posted "no effing way" and "this is a joke" on X, in one of the more frank assessments.
The reaction isn't really about Penix, who was widely considered one of the top quarterback prospects in the draft and brings an exciting skillset to Atlanta after leading the University of Washington to the National Championship Game.
But the Falcons famously already have a quarterback they just committed major money to in Kirk Cousins, inspiring confusion in draft experts and NFL analysts. As ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. put it: "I don't get it."
Here's what else they're saying about Atlanta's surprise Penix pick.
Atlanta Falcons draft Michael Penix Jr. | Reactions
92.9 The Game Falcons reporter Joe Patrick joined 11Alive's Reggie Chatman for a special draft edition of Sports Extra on Thursday night.
"That is a shocking, shocking result in this draft for the Falcons," he said. "With this team kind of in this win-now mode, you figured that this team would want to ensure that they were able to do that as quickly as possible, and by picking MIchael Penix Jr. that is clearly a pick that is not necessarily meant for now, it's meant for later," Patrick said. "Frankly, it's meant for after you're through this Kirk Cousins era -- and that's a lot of capital they're investing into that pick."
He added: "Listen, I know for a fact that this organization has liked Michael Penix Jr. for a long time and clearly they have loved him to the point where they're going to invest this pick in him, but I do think that this pick is going to be judged pretty harshly by Atlanta Falcons fans."
It was also judged harshly by NFL media. Kiper listed the Falcons first in his recap under the header, "Teams that made head-scratching moves in Round 1."
"The Falcons just gave free agent Kirk Cousins $100 million guaranteed in March. They're locked in to the veteran for at least two seasons. And they reached for a quarterback who turns 24 years old next month? I don't get it," the ESPN analyst wrote. "...The Falcons addressing their defense would have helped them compete for the NFC South title, but instead they took a quarterback who will sit behind Cousins and wait his turn."
Perhaps more generously, Chad Reuter, an NFL.com draft analyst, gave the Falcons pick a "C" grade, and focused on the positives with Penix. He noted the quarterback's injury history but said "the pocket presence, strong arm and accuracy he showed at Washington clearly captured the Falcons’ imagination. Without the injury history, he might have been the second or third quarterback off the board, so it made sense to see Penix picked among the second tier of passers."
The Ringer's Danny Kelly was less forgiving with a D- grade of the pick.
"This is a bona fide stunner of a pick. I’m very confused! This is not a team-player fit I ever once considered during the predraft process," he wrote.
Buck Belue of The Fan said there was a "lot to love about Penix" but, like others, was stunned.
ESPN draft analyst Matt Mille rated it the most confusing pick of Round 1.
"Umm... what?" he wrote. "... I don't get it at all. This was a wasted opportunity for Atlanta to build a roster around Cousins."
NFL.com columnist Jeffri Chadlha named the No. 1 loser of the draft's first round the Falcons defense.
"No disrespect to Penix, who clearly was more impressive than anybody realized heading into this draft, but it's hard to understand how the Falcons could use a top-10 pick on a quarterback after giving Kirk Cousins $100 million in guaranteed money earlier this offseason," Chadlha wrote. "Atlanta seemed hellbent on making a huge push to win the NFC South this fall -- but that's going to be difficult to do without additional help for a defense that has been desperate for pass rushers."
Steven Ruiz at The Ringer also tabbed "everybody involved in Atlanta's QB succession plan" as a draft loser.
"...this is a less-than-ideal start to his (Penix's) career. If he develops into a long-term starter, he’ll need to get more comfortable navigating pressure in a tight pocket and throwing into tight windows over the field," Ruiz wrote. "It’s hard to replicate those plays in practice. Even if sitting behind Cousins doesn’t derail Penix’s development, it will almost certainly slow it."
But not everyone was so down on things. Dan Orlovsky said Friday morning after having some time to think about it as well as "some insight shared," he now thinks he loves it:
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