The Atlanta Falcons selected Washington quarterback Michael Penix with the eighth overall pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft in Detroit on Thursday evening.
Penix (6-2, 216 pounds) started his college career at Indiana, where he was beset by various injuries. He was limited to 21 games in four games with the Hoosiers, suffering ACL injuries in 2018 and 2020 and shoulder injuries in 2019 and 2021.
Penix completed 59.4% of his passes for 4,197 yards with 29 touchdowns against 15 interceptions at Indiana. After four injury-riddled seasons, Penix transferred to Washington and had a breakout season in 2022.
Penix stayed healthy for all 25 games with the Huskies from 2022-23, completing 65.4% of his passes for 9,544 yards with 67 touchdown passes against 19 interceptions. He also rushed for seven touchdowns.
Penix won the AP Comeback Player of the Year award in 2022 and then won the Maxwell Award in 2023, given to the NCAA’s best all-around player.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein has compared Penix to Tua Tagovailoa, who was a first-round pick in 2020.
If his injury woes are behind him, Penix could end up being a steal. Following five years in college, Penix will enter the NFL as a 24-year-old rookie.
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