National reaction: Why QB at No. 8?

Experts confused, stunned Falcons used pick on Penix.

The Athletic

For about an hour, (Thursday) night’s first round of the NFL draft was pretty boring. No megatrades, no real shocks in the top five. And then the draft got real, real weird. ... The Falcons, who just signed new franchise quarterback Kirk Cousins to a massive contract, picked ... Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. at No. 8. That is just a stunner. No other way to say it.

Washington Post

The eighth pick provided both the shock of the draft and a symbol of the NFL’s desperation for offense. Bereft of pass rushers and defensive playmakers, having signed (Kirk) Cousins for $45 million a season, the Falcons seemed like the ideal candidate to break the (draft’s) offensive stranglehold . ... The Falcons scoffed at logic and drafted quarterback Michael Penix Jr. They appeared to be in win-now mode after the Cousins signing, especially in the lightweight NFC South. And yet they drafted

a 23-year-old quarterback with every defensive player available.

ESPN

Kirk Cousins’ agent, Mike McCartney, told ESPN there is frustration and confusion coming from the new franchise quarterback’s camp because the Falcons did not use their first-round pick to make the team better in 2024. Instead, the Falcons used the selection on Cousins’ apparent successor before he’s even played a down for the team.

NFL.com

Without (Penix’s) 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. It is confusing, though, that it was the Falcons who took Penix after giving Kirk Cousins a massive contract this offseason.