Is Bo Nix the Answer for Denver?
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As the 2024 NFL Draft draws closer and more mock drafts and odds continue to show certain trends, there is one that is becoming clearer every day. Bo Nix is one of the more likely picks for the Denver Broncos with the 12th overall pick. It’s no secret that the Broncos need a quarterback, as the answer right now is Jarrett Stidham.
As of now, Nix is the odds-on favorite to be drafted by the Broncos according to Fanduel Sportsbook. If the Broncos hold at 12 and don’t trade up, the only quarterbacks left will most likely be Nix and Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. Both are great prospects, but Nix is the better fit into Sean Payton’s offense. Recently, Nix entertained the idea of being Payton’s next quarterback.
“That would be a blast,” Nix said on Robert Griffin III’s “RG3 and The Ones” podcast when asked about playing for Denver. “Playing for a coach like that who’s been so important for the game, so important for the offensive game.”
Another point that Nix brought up was that he is fond of the system which Payton ran with Drew Brees as his quarterback, centered around quick game and timing with his receivers.
“That’s what we did so great here at Oregon,” Nix said.
While Nix is great with the on-schedule throws, something else that makes him an interesting prospect is his ability to create and make things happen on broken plays. Throughout his college career at Auburn and Oregon, he was responsible for turning nothing into something a numerous number of times, including this play from his time at Oregon.
However, Nix has his drawbacks. He’s much older than some of the other quarterbacks, as he recently turned 24. There were some instances where he missed big-play opportunities because he was too focused on the underneath routes, like this instance against Texas Tech. Here, he has an opening to high tight end up the seam, but instead opts for the check down where the pass is incomplete.
Broncos fans and Sean Payton are very familiar with a quarterback being too conservative and not taking the bigger plays with Russell Wilson. Would Nix be a good option for Denver to draft? Yes. However, this Broncos team needs a lot of help to get back to the postseason for the first time since they won the Super Bowl in the 2015-16 season. Would it be a better option for them to look elsewhere in the first round of this draft, opt to go with Stidham for 2024, and target one of the quarterback prospects in the 2025 draft? With names like Shedeur Sanders and Quinn Ewers available next season, that’s a large question that looms over this Broncos franchise.
