Falcons 2024 draft grades roll in, and they're not extremely positive

By that metric, the Falcons were disappointing. I'll write more about this later, but few teams strayed further from consensus than Atlanta, and that led to most of their picks being considered reaches by analysts. The grades you're going to see below are reflective of that; in the case of fans here at The Falcoholic, they're perhaps reflective of that and partially based on disappointment with the players the team didn't pick, as well as the top ten quarterback and the second round trade up.

Let's get to them, so we can re-visit this a few years down the line to shake our heads or nod. I'll add to the list as new grades come in today.

The Falcoholic's readers: C (but you can still vote!)

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Yahoo Sports!: D-

Charles McDonald: Baffling. Pretty baffling use of the eighth overall pick. After signing Kirk Cousins, it was a bit of a shocker for the Falcons to use the pick on a backup quarterback rather than take someone who can play this year. Unless the Cousins signing is a total disaster, it will be years before the Falcons see Michael Penix Jr. on the field. This team is not ready for a resource allocation like that. The Falcons also failed to grab a cornerback in this draft, but they made some very solid picks along the defensive line that should help them finally stabilize that position group. The defensive line picks are the only thing keeping this from being an F grade.

NFL.com: C+

Chad Reuter: It was a strange draft for the Falcons, primarily because of the Penix selection, which was perplexing given their investment in Kirk Cousins this offseason. Penix's strong arm and accuracy from the pocket could make him a star if the injury woes that plagued him at Indiana don't return. Trading up to grab the athletic Orhorhoro was a reach, in my opinion, especially given the team's need at corner. Trice met a crucial need on the edge.

Dorlus fits the mold of Atlanta's defensive linemen. He should be able to play 5-technique or 3-technique depending on where he is needed. Bertrand should contribute on special teams before moving to defense in time. McClellan and Washington — who broke out as a senior at Illinois — offer depth at the skill positions. They'll need to find cornerbacks in the undrafted free agent pool after failing to address the position in the draft.

Pro Football Focus: C-

For a pick-by-pick writeup, visit their site.

CBS Sports: C-

Pete Prisco: This draft will be all about how the Falcons play out the Cousins-Penix dynamic. They had a chance to get a much-needed edge rusher if they didn't take Penix. Trading up to get defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro in the second round was questionable as well. They did add some good players in third-round edge Bralen Trice and Dorlus.

Sports Illustrated: A

Matt Verderame: Call me crazy, but I'm a huge fan of the Penix pick. The quarterback landscape could be great in two years. It could be barren. But if the Falcons are truly building toward the future, why not make the inevitable transition easy. I think there's a lot of pro-Kirk Cousins sentiment out there, but Cousins will be 36 in August and is coming off an Achilles injury. He has also never reached a conference title game, so it was time to explore all options.

Sporting News: C-

Vinny Iyer: GM Terry Fontenot got plenty of heat from every direction for taking Penix in the top 10 after the team committed big money to Kirk Cousins. Penix's big arm is a good fit in the new passing offense, but the Falcons left a lot of elite, impact talent on the board as part of the opportunity cost. Not surprisingly, they chased that misstep by going defense-heavy for new coach Raheem Morris. McClellan and Washington were real offensive reaches on Day 3.

Bleacher Report: D

General manager Terry Fontenot found a couple of intriguing prospects on Day 3, including defensive lineman Brandon Dorlus and wide receiver Casey Washington. Those players may develop enough to make this class look better than it currently does.

However, the Penix pick is as questionable a selection as we've seen in recent memory. That's not a knock on Penix as a prospect, but the Falcons signed Cousins to win now. Passing on a player who can help Atlanta do that for a quarterback who might not play for four or five years doesn't make sense.

Either the Falcons believe they can chase a championship now or they don't. The draft did nothing to clarify how the franchise actually feels.

Washington Post: D

Mark Maske: It's not that Michael Penix Jr. is not an excellent QB prospect, arguably worthy of being the No. 8 overall pick. He is. It's that the Falcons gave Kirk Cousins a four-year, $180 million deal in free agency, a move indicative of an attempt to be an immediate contender. The Falcons needed to add an excellent player at another position to improve Cousins's chances — and theirs — of succeeding. There was no rush to put his eventual successor in place before he even played his first game for the team. The rule in the NFL is that if you don't have a franchise QB, you need to do all that you can to try to get one. But you don't need to do all that you can to try to get two.

Associated Press: C-

Rob Maaddi: QB Michael Penix Jr. at No. 8 was the most stunning pick of the draft because Kirk Cousins just received $100 million guaranteed. DL Ruke Orhorhor (35) and DE Bralen Trice (74) bolster the defense. Reached on some of their Day 3 picks after starting strong with DL Brandon Dorlus in the fourth round.