Dan Orlovsky Michael Penix Jr. Get Up Screen grab: ESPN ‘Get Up’
ESPNNFLBy Ben Axelrod on

Whether it be football or food, Dan Orlovsky has developed a reputation for being a bit of a contrarian.

So it wasn’t a surprise to learn that the ESPN analyst is one of the few people defending the Atlanta Falcons’ shocking decision to select Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

On Friday’s episode of Get Up, Orlovsky admitted that like most, he was initially stunned that Atlanta used its top-10 pick on a quarterback one month after signing Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract. But after sleeping on it and checking with his sources, the 12-year NFL quarterback was ready to defend a decision that many viewed as indefensible.

“When the draft happened last night, I was unbelievably perplexed by this pick,” Orlovsky said. “And then I went to bed and I thought about it a little bit more. And then I had some insight shared. And not only do I love the pick, I totally understand it.”

The UConn product proceeded to make his — and the Falcons’ — case.

“No. 1, they had Michael Penix as the second-best quarterback in this draft, attached to Jayden Daniels. No. 2, they expect to be very good with Kirk Cousins over the next couple of years. And in experience last night realizing how expensive it is to get up in the draft when you are back half like that and go get a quarterback, they realized it’s going to be too expensive, potentially,” Orlovsky said. “And then No. 3, when it came to specifics of their experience with Michael Penix, they went and worked him out on a day where it was 50 degrees and windy and he threw outside. And they all said leaving that workout, it was like watching someone throw the football inside.”

Orlovsky went on to note that his sources also have connections to his personal friend and former teammate, Matthew Stafford.

“They said it’s the closest they’ve ever seen anybody to throw the football like Matthew Stafford,” he said. “You don’t take a quarterback in the top 10 unless your owner is not only on board with it, wants it. I completely understand the thought process by Atlanta now. I understand the viewpoint of who they got in Michael Penix. And I actually think it’s very smart for them to prepare for in two years, there is no development needed. They hit the ground running with whoever the quarterback will be in 2026.”

Give Orlovsky credit: he clearly put a lot of thought and research into his take and came up with the opposing side of an argument that has largely been one-sided. He even managed to talk his Get Up colleagues Domonique Foxworth and Marcus Spears into making sense of the pick, although the latter wasn’t totally sold.

“Let’s not play with each other, they gave [Cousins] $100 million guaranteed,” Spears said. “We did not think they was going to draft a damn quarterback at No. 8 last night.”

“But we understand it, Marcus,” Orlovsky replied.

“Yeah we understand it, Dan, but that has nothing to do with — listen, you live in this world of naivety,” Spears responded. “There will be a time in this season if Kirk Cousins throws 2 interceptions or he doesn’t play well where we know what’s going to happen. We know what we’re going to come on TV and say. We know what Atlanta Falcons are going to say. We know there will be pressure… if we think that there is no chance for some BS to creep in in this situation, we have not been covering this game long enough.”

Orlovsky proceeded to appear on First Take, where he reiterated his defense of the Falcons’ polarizing pick. And if you were wondering what his NFL Live colleague, Mina Kimes, thought about the move, you needn’t search any further than the look on her face when she realized where Orlovsky’s stood.

As for who will ultimately be proven right, only time will tell. As Dan Graziano pointed out on Thursday, when it comes analyzing the NFL Draft, nobody actually knows anything.

About Ben Axelrod

Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.

View all posts by Ben Axelrod