The Falcons drafted Washington QB Michael Penix #8 overall last night, just a few months after signing Kirk Cousins for 180mil.
That's a head scratcher to me.
I was watching live, and in the moments before the pick was announced, I had a fleeting moment of optimism, thinking the Falcons were finally about to end their pass rush troubles by drafting Dallas Turner, Byron Murphy II, Laiatu Latu, or Jared Verse. The only question is, which one would it be?
Honestly, my biggest fear was that they'd reach for Quinyon Mitchell or Terrion Arnold here, when they could get a decent CB later on.
Then the pick was announced.
And all I could think was, Falcons gotta Falcon.
I mean, I like Penix. I think he could be a great QB.
But he's about to turn 23. He's going to be riding the bench behind Kirk Cousins for 4 years, meaning he'll be 27 before he inherits the starting job. And even though he got through the last two years unscathed, he is made of glass. One good hit, and he could be out for the season. It just doesn't make sense.
Addressing the pass rush (along with taking a solid corner in round 2) would've made the Falcons a contender in 2024. They made a pick which is more suited for teams rebuilding from the ground up (which would call for a younger QB) or Super Bowl contenders setting up to reload for the future (the old "draft Steve Young while you still have Joe Montana" or "Aaron Rodgers while you still have Brett Farve" strategy).
It's not the pick a .500 team makes to turn themselves from pretenders to contenders. Especially when you consider they'll probably lose their position in next year's draft due to tampering penalties.
Why do I torture myself by remaining a Falcons fan?