The Most Shocking Moves In The NFL Draft

The NFL Draft came and went and now every football fan should be looking forward to next season. Some teams left their fans scratching their heads and others jumping for joy. In my opinion, these were the most shocking picks that were made during the 2024 NFL Draft.

It is important to preface that it is impossible to guess what these picks will look like in a year. We don’t know who will contribute and which team will regret their decision until after next season, and maybe even beyond that. There will always be players who go under the radar in the draft process.

Similarly, there will always be players who got drafted way too highly for their production value. The draft is such a volatile process, and a draft class can’t be fully assessed until years after they’ve been drafted.

With that being said, this draft class has shaped up to be one of the best in the past couple of years. Possibly even in the past decade, if everyone turns out as good as they look, which is almost impossible.

This draft class was buzzing with talent, and yet, some teams still managed to make some questionable decisions.

The Falcons drafted WHO?!

The Atlanta Falcons had the 8th overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft. Many believed, including myself, that this would be a spot for a defensive player to come off the board. Especially considering that their defense last year was middle of the pack in all defensive categories. So, imagine my shock when Atlanta is on the clock and they select a Quarterback?!

This pick is shocking for plenty of reasons but it’s not necessarily with who they drafted. They drafted Micheal Penix Jr out of Washington. MPJ is a fine enough quarterback prospect – he led all college quarterbacks last year in terms of yards with almost 5,000!

Although Penix Jr has some injury history, I believe he could be a successful player in the NFL. He has ridiculous arm strength and can be mobile whenever he wants to be. This pick wouldn’t be such a huge surprise if it weren’t for Atlanta’s offseason acquisitions.

Before the NFL Draft, the Falcons gave Kirk Cousins a 4-year 180 million dollar contract with 100 million dollars fully guaranteed. Cousins will be a 36 year old quarterback heading into next season, and he’s also just coming off of a season-ending injury.

Even if the Falcons weren’t thinking of a defensive player, there were still plenty of great offensive players left on the board at number 8 that could’ve helped them win now.

Giving an aging quarterback a massive deal, to add to an already stacked offense, gives you a window of contention for the next 2-3 years. Why not continue with this “win now” narrative by drafting someone who can actually contribute from day one?

The Method behind the Madness

When asked about the pick, Falcons head coach Raheem Morris states that they want to replicate the “Green Bay model”. This is about the Green Bay Packers selecting quarterback Jordan Love while also having Aaron Rodgers still on the roster.

The two situations couldn’t be farther apart. For starters, the Packers selected Love at the end of the first round, not in the top 10.

Secondly, the Packers had been dealing with retirement rumors from Rodgers for a couple of years which prompted them to draft his replacement. They hadn’t just given him a 4 year contract with a LOT of money fully guaranteed. Finally, Love was 21 when the packers drafted him. Micheal Penix Jr is 24 years old.

While I believe MPJ could be successful, this was a shocking pick for the Falcons. They desperately needed help on their defense and they didn’t address it. Instead, they draft a 24 year old quarterback with an injury history to eventually replace the quarterback they just signed and gave a bag to.

Jordan Love was on the bench for three years before he was a starter. Does that mean that MPJ will be 27 once he finally gets the starting role? Truly, the most shocking move in this year’s NFL Draft.

Reaching for a QB

Next, I want to talk about the Broncos selecting Bo Nix with the 12th overall pick. It was clear that Denver needed a quarterback, and despite trading for Zach Wilson, that wasn’t gonna stop their QB hunt in the draft. When it was their time to draft, all of the top grade quarterback prospects had already been drafted.

In my opinion, it would’ve been a smart move to trade back for more assets or take a defensive player to add to their strengths.

Instead, they decided to reach and take the best quarterback available which was Bo Nix. As a fan of this team, it’s hard to get excited when I have seen so many quarterbacks suit up for this team and not find success.

I will give the Broncos some credit in their drafting process. They reunited Bo Nix with his favorite target in college, Troy Franklin. All I can hope for is that their connection carries over to the next level and that Nix can progress into a player that the fanbase can be confident in.

Another weapon for The Bay

Finally, I want to talk about the San Francisco 49er’s and their first round selection. They lost last year in the Super Bowl with a stacked roster so admittedly, I wouldn’t know what direction to go in either. They decided to take WR Ricky Pearsall from the University of Florida. I consider this pick a reach simply because I think there were better WR prospects still left on the board.

Most notably, there was WR Adonai Mitchell coming out of Texas. He had character concerns from every team but I think his talent speaks for itself. He ended up being a steal for the Indianapolis Colts in the second round of the draft.

Like I stated before, it’s truly impossible to gauge how these picks will turn out just based on what we know now. There are so many up’s and down’s in an NFL career and maybe the 49er’s see something in Pearsall that I don’t.

I believe he really is a talented player with insane catching skills and knows how to track the ball once it’s in the air. I just think he would’ve been available in the second round and that first rounder could’ve gone to someone else.

However, it was the second-to-last pick in the first round so a reach here isn’t the end of the world. If any team would be excused from reaching on a receiver, it’s the 49er’s.

Their head coach Kyle Shanahan is an offensive mastermind, and his schemes always seem to get someone open. Pearsall is entering a stacked roster which could allow him to flourish if teams are leaving him open. Either way, it looks like the 49er’s will be able to maximize his talents.

If you’re looking for more NFL draft news, please check out this article!