The first round of the 2024 NFL Draft unfolded with a relatively low number of surprises on Thursday until the Atlanta Falcons pulled a stunner at pick No. 8, selecting Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The Falcons weren’t viewed as a team in the quarterback market at this point in the draft after signing Kirk Cousins to a four-year deal in free agency that’s worth up to $180 million. Cousins’ deal is loaded with guaranteed money in the first two years, meaning that Penix will likely spend at least that long, and possibly longer, on the bench.
Not only does this potentially shorten Cousins’ time in Atlanta, it also took away the opportunity to add a premium player for what the Falcons hope will be a multi-year playoff window. It’s a move that surprised many, reportedly including Cousins himself, so be sure to see what the team at CBS Sports HQ had to say about it.
CBS Sports HQ is a 24/7 streaming sports network that offers news, highlights and analysis, easily accessible for free on connected devices. HQ has been analyzing the NFL Draft for months and has full analysis of every major storyline, including reaction to the Falcons picking Penix.
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Pete Prisco is the Senior NFL Columnist at CBSSports.com and a regular NFL analyst for NFL and NFL Draft coverage on CBS Sports HQ. Prisco is known for his instant first-round grades that can be viewed on the site and on HQ. Prisco joined Ryan Wilson on Thursday evening shortly after the Penix pick and gave his reaction and grade.
Pete Prisco grades the Falcons’ Michael Penix Jr. pick
“I give it a B-,” Prisco said on HQ. “You know I like the player. I think he has all the skills to be a good starting quarterback in this league. But it makes no sense to me from that standpoint. You have Kirk Cousins, you paid Kirk Cousins.
“I know they have a two-year out on him, so that means he’ll have to sit for two years behind Kirk Cousins and then play. I don’t love this pick for the Falcons. Good player, bad situation. Don’t love it.” See the full reaction right here.
Top Day 2 2024 NFL Draft storylines, news, records
Penix was part of a historic run at quarterback on Thursday. With a whopping six quarterbacks off the board in the first round — Penix, Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, J.J. McCarthy and Bo Nix — this first round tied the record set in 1983 for more most QBs to go off the board in one round. It was also the most (5) to go in the top 10 of any NFL Draft.
The first defender didn’t go off the board until No. 15 overall, leaving some intriguing names such as defensive back Cooper DeJean, defensive lineman Johnny Newton and cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry still on the board heading into Round 2 on Friday. Some big-name receivers such as Adonai Mitchell, Ladd McConkey and Troy Franklin remain as well.
While there were no big trades involving veterans on Thursday, that could change on Friday. After the Niners took receiver Ricky Pearsall in the first round, rumors are swirling that Brandon Aiyuk or Deebo Samuel could be on the move, so that’s a Friday NFL Draft storyline that CBS HQ will be discussing. Get NFL Draft analysis on CBS Sports HQ.
So what are the top storylines for Day 2 of the 2024 NFL Draft, and which teams will dominate their picks? Visit CBS Sports HQ now to get analysis for the 2024 NFL Draft, all from a team of proven NFL experts who have their finger on the pulse of the NFL Draft, and find out.
2024 NFL Draft: NFL expert reveals reaction, grade, analysis as Falcons pick Michael Penix Jr.
