Michael Penix

Penix was the surprise pick of this year’s draft. Not necessarily because he went in the top 10, but because it was the Falcons who drafted him eighth overall. Atlanta just signed Kirk Cousins to a four-year deal with $100 million guaranteed in March, which means Penix is headed to the bench. The left-hander has a cannon for an arm, the strongest in this year’s draft, and is an accurate downfield passer who also consistently hits tight windows. While the 6-2 Penix is skilled at working through progressions, he at times was inaccurate on intermediate targets because he threw a beat late and lacked touch. The biggest knock, though, is his medical history -- season-ending injuries to both shoulders and two ACL tears in his right knee at Indiana before transferring to Washington. Despite the injuries, he’s still “functionally mobile” and was sacked just 32 times on more than 1,700 dropbacks. At Washington, he led the nation in passing yards per game each of the last two seasons. At Atlanta, he’s the backup, but the 36-year-old Cousins is coming off a midseason Achilles injury and, unlike Penix, doesn’t have a downfield arm. If Penix gets a shot, he’ll have quality weapons in RB Bijan Robinson, WR Drake London and TE Kyle Pitts. Stay Tuned. Read Past Outlooks