The Atlanta Falcons turned the NFL on its head by making one of the more questionable/bold draft decisions in recent memory by taking Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth overall pick. Over the next two days, amid scrutiny, they continued to take dice rolls on fixing the defensive front seven, shoring up their special teams unit and adding another running back to the stable.
One of the issues with this year's draft for Atlanta was gauging how much immediate impact these players will have. Penix has to sit for at least two years and Ruke Orhorhoro is a bet on an elite athletic profile along the defensive line. Those were the first two picks from the Falcons, so how much better are the 2024 Falcons? From the looks of some of these power rankings, not much better.
NFL.com's Eric Edholm: 20 (Prev. 14)
When the Falcons chose QB Michael Penix Jr. eighth overall, I chose not to freak out and react reflexively. I wanted to let the move marinate for a bit. Days later, I remain ambivalent, but I feel a little better about the idea. Kirk Cousins turns 36 in August. He's coming off a serious Achilles injury. That said, one would ideally be confident about a quarterback's health when committing as much money as the Falcons did to Cousins; in a perfect world, Penix won't see the field this season except in mop-up time. That's the toughest part to swallow for me when it comes to a team that acted like it was close to win-or-bust mode this offseason. Bill Belichick correctly pointed out during his live draft analysis for "The Pat McAfee Show" that having two good quarterbacks is seldom a bad thing. He's not wrong, of course. But compounding the whole issue is that I didn't love the remainder of the Falcons' draft class. I just don't know how to feel about any of this, honestly.
Fox Sports' David Helman: 17 (Up 7)
The Falcons nearly won the NFC South with middling quarterback play last year, so the addition of Kirk Cousins gives them a legit shot to make some noise. I'm going to be confused about the Michael Penix Jr. pick for the rest of my life, but that doesn't change the fact that Atlanta could win 9-plus games in 2024.
Bleacher Report's Gary Davenport: 22
After the Atlanta Falcons handed quarterback Kirk Cousins a four-year, $180 million contract in free agency, no one expected them to use the eighth overall pick on a quarterback. Their decision to select Washington's Michael Penix Jr. was thus the single most surprising pick of this year's draft.
Despite that baffling move, Moton thinks the Falcons can still be a factor in the NFC South if the defense can hold up.
"Despite the Falcons' clunky quarterback plan, they're built to make a move up the standings," he said. "Cousins will throw to a talented pass-catching group that includes Drake London, Darnell Mooney, Rondale Moore, and Kyle Pitts. With Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier in the backfield to balance the offense, Atlanta has the playmakers to field a top-10 scoring attack."
"However, the Falcons may need to score 28-plus points to win games," he went on. "Defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake will handle play-calling for Atlanta, but he hasn't called plays in the NFL. He must figure out how to generate pocket pressure, which has been an issue for this team over the past decade.
If rookies Ruke Orhorhoro and Bralen Trice aren't difference-makers in the pass rush, the Falcons defense could cost them games in 2024."
NBC Bay Area's Sanjesh Singh: 20
QB drama aside, there's plenty of talent under Raheem Morris' disposal to make a run in an open NFC South. The draft class may not have bolstered things much, but Bijan Robinson, Drake London, Jessie Bates III and A.J. Terrell headline talent elsewhere.
Pro Football Network's Dallas Robinson: 17
If Penix plays more than a handful of snaps in 2024, something has gone wrong for the Falcons. Atlanta’s Penix selection was Round 1’s most controversial choice, and for good reason.
The Falcons just handed QB Kirk Cousins a four-year deal with $90 million guaranteed in March. He’s locked in as Atlanta’s starter for the next two seasons. The concept of finding a QB off-ramp is admirable, but the win-now Falcons should’ve selected a more immediate contribution like WR Rome Odunze, Latu, or Murphy.
