NFC Notes: Michael Penix Jr, Xavier Legette, Brock Bowers, Falcons, Panthers, Saints

Falcons

The Falcons stunned the world on Thursday by taking QB Michael Penix Jr. at pick No. 8 in the draft after giving QB Kirk Cousins a massive deal in free agency. Cousins’ agent Mike McCartney mentioned they were stunned to see Atlanta make the selection.

“Yes, it was a big surprise,” McCartney said, via NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. “We had no idea this was coming. The truth is the whole league had no idea this was coming. We go not heads up. Kirk got a call from the Falcons when they were on the clock. That was the first we heard. It never came up in any conversation.”

Panthers

Panthers GM Dan Morgan said a big reason they traded back into the first round to select South Carolina WR Xavier Legette was to make sure they had a fifth-year option on him. 

“Yeah, the fifth-year option is definitely important. I think, obviously, that was a big reason to trade up into the first round,” Morgan said, via PanthersWire. “Besides the player, we loved Xavier. Everything he brought—not only as a person, but as a player. Like, his ability to attack the ball when it’s in the air, his ability to run with it after the catch, he’s big, he’s strong, he’s physical. Think he has a lot of upside. So we wanted to take that opportunity to go get our guy.”

Morgan said the Jaguars drafting LSU WR Brian Thomas and the Chiefs taking WR Xavier Worthy prompted them to make a move for Legette. 

“I think once the wideouts were taken—Brian Thomas was taken and then I felt like there was gonna be a little run on wideouts after that,” Morgan said. “Then Xavier Worthy got taken. And we liked some of those guys and with Xavier [Legette] out there, we were just like—we don’t wanna put ourself in a bad situation to where we’re not gonna be able to get the guy we wanna get. He was our target, we really liked him and we went and got him.”

Saints

The Raiders took TE Brock Bowers, the top tight end in this year’s draft, with pick No. 13 of the first round. Saints HC Dennis Allen acknowledged they would have discussed taking Bowers had he been there for them at pick No. 14.

“Brock Bowers was in consideration for us. And that he got all the way to, pick 13, wasn’t it, right? So, I mean, certainly there was some discussion going on,” Allen said, via John Sigler of the Saints Wire.