FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Atlanta has a fond history with southpaws, from Tom Glavine to Michael Vick to Max Fried. In due time, Michael Penix Jr. will have the chance to join them.

The NFL draft is known for its unpredictability, but his selection left some folks perplexed even by its standards. The Falcons, fresh off giving veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins $100 million guaranteed, chose the lefty quarterback Penix at No. 8 overall, entrusting the Washington product with their franchise’s future.

Penix revered Vick growing up, even receiving a text from him before taking the podium for his introductory press conference Friday. Now, Penix hopes to electrify Atlanta in his own way. He’ll have to wait, with no guarantee of when that day will arrive. But few quarterbacks in the history of the first round are more equipped to handle whatever is coming his way.

“I know I’m going to put in a ton of work to make sure whenever I do step on that field, there’s not going to be a beat missed and I’m going to be successful within this offense and this team,” Penix said, later adding: “If I’m not on the field right away, I’m learning, but I’m still going to prepare like I’m going to be on that field because you never know what can happen.”

The conditions around this pick have been and will be debated. Ultimately, though, Penix is here. The Falcons fell in love with him. They fell in love with his story, how he’s persisted from overlooked recruit to wounded Hoosier to Heisman Trophy finalist.

Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot summarized their feelings: “If you believe in a quarterback, you have to take him.”

Belief is an instrumental aspect of the Penix story. There were plenty of times he could’ve released this dream or pivoted elsewhere. His path was anything but conventional. It’s the rarest of rare type story for an early draftee.

Penix subscribes to “Everything happens for a reason” thinking. When assessing his story, he assures you it was made possible by his faith. And if everything happens with purpose, there’s a reason he’s here now — even if he can’t explain it yet.

“God has his own plans,” Penix said. “And for me, to be in this position, I always say — and you’re going to hear me say a lot — I’m just blessed to be in this position. It took a lot for me to get here. I’m not sure yet (what the reason is). I still feel like there are things in the works.”

Penix comes from a faith-filled family. He’s been going to church and putting God first “as long as I can remember.” One can’t grow to understand Penix without grasping how important that is to his makeup. Everything he does and says will tie back to his roots.

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