Thanks to quarterback Michael Penix Jr., the Atlanta Falcons 2024 draft class avoided the bottom of the barrel on a list of last year's NFL draft classes from CBS Sports.

Fortunately for Atlanta, Penix showed enough promise to overshadow the shortcomings of the team’s 2024 class. NFL.com released its 2024 draft grades for all 32 teams and the Falcons landed in the bottom third of the league with a “C” grade:

When the Atlanta Falcons selected quarterback Michael Penix Jr. in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft, many around the league were highly critical of the pick. While Penix was projected to go somewhere in the first round, Atlanta wasn’t on anyone’s radar as a landing spot.

The most important player on the roster is Michael Penix Jr.; the new starting quarterback of the Atlanta Falcons has a lot of pressure on him after a superb performance in his rookie finale.

The NFL offseason is all fun and games when there's salary cap space available. However, tough decisions need to be made when money gets tight. Teams routinely cut star players while they're still productive due to financial reasons.

The Atlanta Falcons enter this offseason needing to improve their pass rush, which ranked second-to-last in the NFL with 31 sacks this past season. It's a similar problem the Falcons have faced in several off-season's over the past two decades -- but perhaps this time,

If Georgia stunk as a college football program, I would have not problem with my hometown Falcons shunning their players in the draft. However, Georgia has been one of the most consistently strong programs in college football for over a decade now.