Dan Orlovsky has change of heart in reviewing Falcons' decision to draft Michael Penix Jr.
The NFL analyst apparently needed a night to think about his knee-jerk reaction to Atlanta shocking the draft world by selecting the Washington quarterback.
The Atlanta Falcons raised a few eyebrows, to put it mildly, Thursday, when they selected Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft. The blowback to the shocking selection (the Falcons signed veteran QB Kirk Cousins to a 4-year, $160 million contract a few weeks ago) wasn't limited to fans. Draft analysts struggled to hide their confusion as well, including ESPN's Dan Orlovsky.
But Orlovsky found a different perspective between Thursday evening and Friday morning. The former NFL QB had a revelation, apparently.
When the draft happened last night, unbelievably perplexed by this pick. And then I went to bed and I thought about it a little bit more. And then I had some insight shared and not only do I love the pick, I totally understand it."
On the surface, it isn't hard to figure out. Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot and coach Raheem Morris addressed reporters in Atlanta following the selection, and noted the pick wasn't made for now, but rather, the future, because they aren't aiming to be drafting in the top 10 again.
The logic of that isn't any more difficult to understand Friday as it was Thursday evening. It also doesn't change the fact a team that earned the right to draft in the top 10 made a decision that stunned the quarterback they signed to a 4-year contract in March.
It's worth mentioning that Cousins is coming off an Achilles tear that ended his 2023 season, and Penix has had his right ACL repaired twice in his career.
Opinions on where Penix sits among the six quarterbacks taken in round 1 (top 12 picks, in fact) will vary, and it isn't appropriate to view the matter purely on the results of the draft, but it would seem, at the very least, Penix would have lasted at least until 10, where the Vikings swapped picks with the Jets to land J.J. McCarthy. Logic would suggest the Falcons perhaps could have gained something by moving down a few spots if they felt that strongly about Penix.
The move, from the Falcons' perspective, isn't difficult to figure out, and Orlovsky didn't say anything that wasn't clear and obvious last night. Posturing and contrarian stances aren't exactly rare in this line of work. Regardless, the Falcons spent No. 8 overall on a player who won't suit up for them unless their huge free agent investment is injured. And they have to face the fact they chose not to make their team better for this year in doing so.
