Former Opponents Back Michael Penix's Lofty-Draft Spot

Those who faced Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix in college weren't surprised to see him taken high in the first round.

Atlanta Falcons 1st-Round Draft Pick Michael Penix Jr. Washington Huskies / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

The Atlanta Falcons surprised a lot of people when they selected former Washington Huskies quarterback Michael Penix Jr. No. 8 overall in the NFL Draft two weeks ago.

Most figured Atlanta took themselves out of the quarterback race when they inked Kirk Cousins to a 4-year, $180-million contract that includes $90-million guaranteed.

The shock that came with the pick was more about the Falcons than it was about Penix as a prospect. Those who had to coach and gameplan against Penix weren't surprised to see him drafted in the upper half of the first round.

ESPN's Adam Rittenberg talked to nearly-two dozen college coaches, including several who faced Penix, and they weren't a bit surprised Penix was highly regarded among NFL evaluators.

"It makes a lot of sense when you think about how hard it is to have a good quarterback flow in your organization, having that guy ready to roll," an anonymous power-conference coach told Rittenberg on ESPN+. "The way he threw at his pro day and the way he ran, I felt he was gaining a lot of momentum. I thought, 'Somebody's going to take him in the first round and probably in the first 15 picks.'

"I just didn't expect [Atlanta] to be the one."

There it is. The surprise comes with the Atlanta Falcons front office. General manager Terry Fontenot knew the pick was going to be controversial before he made it. To his credit, he stuck to his guns and trusted his team's evaluation.

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“We knew in our heart if we had a lot of people in the building that loved him and expected him to be that player, and he’s somewhere else, then that’s unforgivable,” Fontenot told SI's Albert Breer. 

One Pac-12 coach thought it was the Denver Broncos who would be choosing between Oregon's Bo Nix and Penix. He didn't expect Penix to fall below the Raiders at No. 13.

"Both those guys were talented enough to be in that conversation, particularly with the arm talent that Penix has and how competitive and how football-savvy Nix is," a Pac-12 defensive coordinator told Rittenberg. "Nix is going to a head coach [Sean Payton] that really believes in him, just like Drew Brees. It's kind of an awkward situation for Penix, but I'm a believer in a rookie quarterback sitting and watching and observing how the vets do it.

"I was a big fan of Penix. The arm talent was just so special."

Payton admitted he was worried when the Falcons selected Penix. That it might force the Raiders' hand to trade up and select Nix. Like the Falcons, he stood pat and got his guy at No. 12.

Six quarterbacks went in the first-12 picks of the NFL Draft... a record. History tells us at least half of these guys won't live up to their draft status. The Falcons are hoping it will be several years before Penix sees the field, because it will mean their investment in Kirk Cousins was a good one for the short term.

If you listen to those who had to play against Penix at Washington, Atlanta's future is in good hands.