FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons provided the first major surprise of this year’s NFL draft by selecting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 overall pick Thursday night in Detroit.
The Falcons extended their recent trend of going with offensive skill players in the first round by drafting Penix — who helped the Washington Huskies to a national runner-up finish in January — just one month after making a big move at the sport’s spotlight position in free agency when they signed veteran starter Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract with $100 million guaranteed.
Using a draft slot normally targeted for players expected to make an immediate impact, the Falcons chose Penix as the apparent long-term successor to the 35-year-old Cousins.
Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot said he never wavered when Penix was available.
“Kirk Cousins is our quarterback,” Fontenot said. “Michael Penix, we’re talking about the future. We’re very excited about that quarterback room.”
First-year Atlanta head coach Raheem Morris said the Falcons wanted to draft Penix this year because they don’t plan to draft as high as No. 8 again soon. It was a strong prediction for a franchise that hasn’t had a winning season or made the playoffs since 2017.
“We’re talking about winning the (NFC) South and doing some things and going to the playoffs,” Morris said. “We don’t want to be picking that high anymore. We don’t want to be in that position. … That helped us make that decision.”
Morris said he would be thrilled if Penix is nothing more than an observer the next four years if that means Cousins is thriving as the starter.
“Nothing would make me feel better than watching Kirk Cousins play for four years,” Morris said.
Penix said he looks forward to learning from Cousins, a four-time Pro Bowl selection who spent the past six seasons with the Minnesota Vikings after playing his first six pro seasons for the Washington Redskins.
“I’m blessed with the opportunity,” Penix said. “I’m going to take advantage and make the most out of it. For me, coming in behind Kirk Cousins, he’s a guy who has been in the league and … played a lot of football. I’m going to come in and I’m gong to learn, I’m going to learn from him and try to soak in all the knowledge I can.”
The Falcons had been expected to be the exception during a first round focused on offensive prospects and use the eighth pick to boost their defense’s pass rush.
The Falcons also focused on offensive playmakers with their past three first-round picks. Tight end Kyle Pitts was the No. 4 overall pick in 2021, followed by receiver Drake London in 2022 and running back Bijan Robinson in 2023, each at No. 8.
The 6-foot-2, 216-pound Penix, who turns 24 in two weeks, led the Football Bowl Subdivision last season with 4,903 passing yards and was third with 36 touchdown passes. He won the Maxwell Award as the nation’s top all-around player and finished second in Heisman Trophy voting to LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels.
Penix threw for 255 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions as No. 2 Washington fell to top-ranked Michigan 34-13 in the College Football Playoff’s title game.
Penix began his college career at Indiana, where he tore his right ACL in 2018 and 2020 and had shoulder injuries in both 2019 and 2021.
Penix said he had a good feeling after working out for Falcons officials, including Fontenot, on his college campus in Seattle.
“They were great,” Penix said. “They liked how I threw the ball. I feel like I put on a great performance that day in that throwing session. It was kind of quick, but we made it worthwhile.”
Still, Penix said he didn’t know if the Falcons’ interest was serious until the call came during the draft. He said he spoke with Fontenot, Morris, Falcons owner Arthur Blank and offensive coordinator Zac Robinson.
“To be able to hear that phone call come through, it was just a blessing,” Penix said. “They asked me was I ready to be a Falcon. I said, ‘Absolutely.'”
Fontenot said this week he would consider selecting a quarterback high in the draft even when most of the outside focus had been on edge rushers going to Atlanta.
“If we see a player that we believe can be a franchise quarterback at any point, whether it’s this draft, next draft, whether it’s a player we can trade for, whatever it is, you have to bring that player in because we’re talking about the next four to five years-plus when we’re talking about guys that we’re drafting,” said Fontenot, Atlanta’s GM since January 2021.
“No different than when we’re talking about any other position, like you said, you can say it’s surplus now, but it can be a major need down the road. I think because of that and because of the magnitude of the effects and the impact of that position, then you always have to be willing to bring players in.”
The Falcons’ draft won’t be impacted this year by the NFL’s ongoing investigation of the team’s possible violation of tampering policies before signing Cousins, who appeared to indicate he had been in communication with team officials at a time the team would have been permitted to talk only with his agent.
After drafting Penix, the Falcons still had seven picks remaining this year: one in the second round (No. 43 overall), two in the third round (74, 79), one in the fourth round (109), one in the fifth round (143) and two in the sixth (187, 197).
The second and third rounds are Friday evening, with the final four rounds on Saturday.