Jay Gruden: Falcons Picking Michael Penix Pick Was 'Odd' After Kirk Cousins Signing

The Atlanta Falcons shocked everyone in the NFL world when they selected quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth overall pick in the draft. They signed veteran QB Kirk Cousins to a $180 million deal in March.

Former Redskins head coach Jay Gruden, who coached Kirk Cousins in Washington, joined "Don't @ Me" with Dan Dakich on Monday morning. The Redskins drafted Robert Griffin III with the second overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft and later selected Cousins in the fourth round of the same draft. 

Gruden was surprised by Atlanta's decision to draft Penix after signing Cousins. 

"I think what the Falcons did this year is a little bit odd to me, especially with all the needs they had on defense," Gruden told Dakich. "They had the pick of the litter on defense, as far as pass rusher is concerned." 

The Atlanta Falcons drafted Michael Penix Jr. with the 8th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft despite signing Kirk Cousins to a $100 million contract. 

(Dale Zanine/USA TODAY Sports)

At the time the Falcons picked, not one defensive player had yet been selected. In fact, the 2024 NFL Draft set a record for the longest run of offensive players picked (the first 14 picks were all offensive players). 

But the NFL is a quarterback league. And, while Cousins certainly has a few good years left, he's not the franchise quarterback the Falcons need for the next decade. That's what they're hoping for from Penix. 

"It just shows the desperation teams have for finding a quarterback in the future," Gruden continued. "You've got to continue to hunt for him, and if you feel like you got one there, you get him in your building. You've got to take a chance, and that's what Atlanta did."

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