During the opening round of the 2024 NFL Draft, the Atlanta Falcons made what was undoubtedly one of the most curious selections in recent Draft history. After signing veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million deal back in March at the beginning of free agency, the Falcons stunningly doubled-down on quarterback during the Draft, picking Washington Huskies Heisman Trophy runner-up Michael Penix Jr. with the 8th overall pick.

There are a litany of reasons why this pick is so puzzling, with the substantial financial commitment the Falcons have already made to Cousins being the main one. But Michael Penix's injury history (two torn ACL's and significant shoulder injuries) and his age (he'll be turning 24 in less than two weeks) are not far behind on the list. But even in the face of immense criticism, Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot stands by his controversial selection.

“We have the quarterback for now and we have the quarterback for the future, so we're very excited,” Fontenot told Rece Davis, per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.

Now for a brief moment, let's try to give Fontenot and the Falcons the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps the next few seasons with Kirk Cousins will be successful ones, and at that point, once Cousins' deal has reached its end, Penix will be able to step in for what could potentially be a ready-made contender, keeping the Falcons competitive in the post-Cousins era. But this scenario assumes that the Falcons, as presently constructed, are a finished product from a roster-building standpoint, which it's fair to say that most analysts around the league feel they are not.

Since that's the case, it's understandable why fans would be wondering why the Falcons wouldn't use this pick on a player who would be able to make an immediate impact for a franchise that hasn't been to the postseason since 2017. Even if the Falcons felt that selecting one of the top defensive backs or edge rushers with the 8th pick was a reach, they could've traded back into the teens, potentially picking up another day two pick in the process, and managed to come away with someone like UCLA edge rusher Laiatu Latu or Toledo cornerback Quinyon Mitchell, who could've been plug and play starters right away for an Atlanta defense that is in need of help both in the secondary and along the defensive line.

It's also easy to understand why Kirk Cousins would be blindsided by the Falcons' decision to draft his successor when he hasn't taken a single snap in Atlanta yet. With the financial commitment to Cousins comes a theoretical handshake deal that the Falcons would devote their resources to putting the best possible team around him in order to win in the window when he'll be their starting quarterback. The acquisition of Penix isn't a move that necessarily aligns with that mindset.