Falcons select Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. with No. 8 overall pick in 2024 NFL Draft

Atlanta has drafted the heir apparent to Kirk Cousins in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

The Falcons selected Washington quarterback Michel Penix Jr. with the No. 8 overall pick.

It's a stunning move for Atlanta, who inked Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract with $100 million in guarantees in March despite him coming off an Achilles injury.

The move didn't just surprise fans watching draft coverage on TV. Count Cousins' camp among those who did not see the Falcons going QB in the top 10.

"Yes, it was a big surprise," Cousins' agent, Mike McCartney, told NFL Network Insider Mike Garafolo on Thursday night. "We had no idea this was coming. The truth is the whole league had no idea this was coming. We got no heads up. Kirk got a call from the Falcons when they were on the clock. That was the first we heard. It never came up in conversation."

There were discussions that the Falcons could trade down and snag Penix, but general manager Terry Fontenot didn't mess around, deciding to take the quarterback at No. 8.

Penix, who turns 24 in May, will presumably sit behind Cousins for the next couple of years, setting himself up as an eventual successor. Fontenot confirmed as much in his press conference after the first round ended.

"When you can add a high-caliber player like that, with his intangibles, those tools ... you don't pass up that opportunity," Fontenot said. "Kirk Cousins is our quarterback, we're very excited about Kirk, very excited about this team, and Michael Penix is, we're talking about the future."

Penix rose to stardom at his second school, Washington, helping the Huskies quickly ascend to national title contenders in just two seasons. After earning second-team All-Pac-12 honors in his first campaign in