Michael Penix Jr. of the Washington Huskies poses for portraits at the Indiana Convention Center on February 29, 2024 in Indianapolis.
The Atlanta Falcons just shocked the NFL world.
Last month, Atlanta signed veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract. Then, with the No. 8 overall pick in Thursday's draft, the Falcons selected Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr.
Penix led the Huskies to the national championship game last season, but there were plenty of questions entering the draft. He will turn 24 next month, older than all of the other quarterback prospects at the top of the draft. Additionally, he suffered two torn ACLs during his six-year collegiate career.
Not only that, but they did so with 21-year-old quarterback J.J. McCarthy still on the board. The Michigan signal caller was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings two picks later at No. 10 overall.
Get top local stories in DFW delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC DFW's News Headlines newsletter.
To make matters even more puzzling, the Falcons reportedly didn't tell Cousins about their plans until a decision was made -- which left the veteran "a bit stunned."
NFL
Predictably, social media was shocker with the first real surprise of the 2024 draft. Here are some of the best responses:
