4 Most Surprising Picks in 2024 NFL Draft Highlighted by Quarterback

The most surprising selections in the 2024 NFL Draft are highlighted by the quarterback position.

Apr 26, 2024; Flowery Branch, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons first round draft pick quarterback Michael / Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

The beginning of the 2024 NFL Draft was relatively chalk. The Chicago Bears selected Caleb Williams, the Washington Commanders selected Jayden Daniels and the New England Patriots selected Drake Maye. Even the next few selections were excpected.

The biggest surprise came at eighth overall and once that pick was made, we saw a few others that were shocking, including one team with two selections on this list. There were some surprise selections in the 2024 NFL Draft and it's focused on the Atlanta Falcons.

QB Michael Penix Jr., Atlanta Falcons

It wasn't just one person or team that was surprised by the pick, it shocked everyone other than a few people in the Falcons team facility. They had just signed Kirk Cousins to a massive contract with $100 million guaranteed and said guarantees extend into the 2026 season.

Not only was the landing spot for Penix a surprise, but going in the top 10 was as well. With multiple season-ending injuries, including two torn ACLs, it's a surprise. Pair that with him being 24 and not likely becoming the starting quarterback until he's 26-27 years old, the selection is baffling.

TE Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders

The 2023 NFL Draft was an interesting one for the Raiders. They missed out on a quarterback and they prioritized the trenches and took a tight end in Michael Mayer early in the second round. The idea of Brock Bowers was not something that was on the radar for the Raiders.

With a new regime in charge, general manager Tom Telesco made the pick of Bowers, who at the time was the best player available. Even though they selected Mayer the prior year, both players can live on the same team together, as they have very complementary skill sets.

WR Ricky Pearsall, San Francisco 49ers

The rumors were flying the entire NFL Draft that the 49ers were trying to move one of Brandon Aiyuk or Deebo Samuel. Teams were very interested in acquiring their services with potential draft pick compensation coming back for the 49ers. Now, a wide receiver made sense for the franchise, but the player they chose was a little bit of a surprise.

Now, Pearsall is a nice fit for what Kyle Shanahan likes to do. He is an explosive and versatile athlete who can play from multiple alignments. It was a surprise to see him go ahead of the likes of Ladd McConkey and Adonai Mitchell but the player is a great fit.

DT Ruke Orhorhoro, Atlanta Falcons

This pick was also shocking, which is the perfect description for the Falcons 2024 NFL Draft. They didn't just take Orhorhoro, 33 picks above where he ranked on consensus. Not only did they overdraft him according to the consensus board, but they sent a third round pick to make the trade up for him.

Now, Orhorhoro is a talented player with an element of explosiveness to his game and he was one onf three pieces to add to the Falcons defensive front from the NFL Draft. However, that's a high price to pay to overdraft a player.