3 teams who deserve more first-round criticism than the Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons have been mentioned this past week about a billion times and they will continue to be mentioned frequently after they shocked the NFL by drafting Michael Penix Jr. in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

Most of the attention directed their way has been centered in hate. The media has not been a fan of Terry Fontenot looking toward the future so they don't repeat the past.

There are plenty of other teams in the first round who deserve a lot more criticism than the Falcons for their decision-making.

The Carolina Panthers deserve more criticism than the Falcons

Out of sight, out of mind was the theme for the Carolina Panthers during the first round. The Panthers would have held the first-overall pick if they hadn't traded up for Bryce Young who helped the Chicago Bears land Caleb Williams.

While Bryce Young was in a terrible situation, you still cannot ignore how bad things look for the Panthers right now. Their roster is still a mess, they traded away valuable picks for a QB who looked sub-par for most of the year, and then they decided to trade up one spot to draft a receiver in the first round.

The Panthers went from No. 33 to No. 32 just so they could land Xavier Legette on a contract with a fifth-year option. They gave up more resources for an extra year of control on a player who wasn't even the best available at his position.

The media should save some of their criticism for the Panthers.