Falcons' Michael Penix Jr Leads His Draft Class in Key Category

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. came into the league as part of a stacked NFL quarterback draft class. The 2024 NFL Draft featured six quarterbacks selected in the first round, tied with the 1983 Draft for the most ever taken in the first round, with Penix going eighth overall. 

While he’s part of a large class, he’s found a way to stand out. Although the sample size is small, the numbers suggest that he is currently the best deep ball thrower in his draft class. 

Per PFF’s deep ball tracking stats (passes that travel 20 or more air yards), Michael Penix Jr has the highest completion percentage among quarterbacks from the 2024 draft class. He completes deep passes at a 43.8% clip. Denver Broncos’ Bo Nix comes in at second with 41.6% followed by Washington Commanders' Jayden Daniels at 35.1% to close out the top three. 

Among the other first-round quarterbacks who started last season, New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye completed 33.3% while Chicago Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams completed just 26.7% of such passes. 

Penix, however, played fewer games than the rest, with all four other quarterbacks playing at least 12 games, requiring the need to mention sample size. However, the significantly better results reveal a promising feature to Penix’s arsenal. 

Outside of deep balls, Penix still has other areas to work on. 

PFF’s John Kosko raised concerns about Penix’s accuracy by writing that his floor is comparable to Jameis Winston. 

PFF’s adjusted completion percentage accounts for factors outside a quarterback’s control, such as drops, throwaways, spikes, batted passes, and hits during throws, offering a much clearer picture of catchable pass accuracy.

Penix is second in the draft class in this stat with a 43.8% adjusted, trailing only Nix at 46.8%. Daniels has a 38.6% with Maye close behind at 36.7% and finally Williams at 28.0%.

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