Getty Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix.
The Denver Broncos completed a record-tying run on quarterbacks in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft when they selected Oregon quarterback Bo Nix at No. 12 overall — the sixth quarterback taken in the first round.
The return on that investment might come sooner than anticipated.
Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski had Nix at the top of his list of “draft-day steals” just ahead of the Broncos coming together for mandatory minicamp on June 11-14.
“The last first-round quarterback taken could actually provide the quickest return, because the 24-year-old signal-caller is a good fit for (Sean) Payton’s system, with the playing time under his belt to even out some of the ups and downs that rookies tend to experience,” Sobelski wrote.
As the No. 12 pick, Nix signed a 4-year, $18.6 million contract. He is in a three-way competition for the starting spot with veteran quarterbacks Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson.
Nix Finished Record-Setting College Career at Oregon
Nix doesn’t just have more experience coming out of college than Stidham, Wilson or any of the five quarterbacks who were selected above him in the NFL draft. He has more college experience than any quarterback who has ever entered the NFL.
Nix’s 61 career starts from 2019 to 2023 were an NCAA record that will almost certainly never be broken. He went 43-18 over those five seasons, with the first three at Auburn and the last two at Oregon.
Nix was the SEC Freshman of the Year at Auburn in 2019 then capped his career as the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year and a Heisman Trophy finalist at Oregon. In 2023, he set the NCAA single-season record for completion percentage (77.4 percent) and led the FBS with 45 passing touchdowns. He also set a single-season school record 4,508 passing yards.
NFL analyst Lance Zierlein had Nix projected as a second-round pick in his pre-draft evaluation and compared him to four-time Pro Bowl quarterback Tony Romo.
“Nix displays the accuracy, arm talent and athleticism consistent with today’s brand of pro quarterback,” Zierlein wrote. “He can be punctual in getting the ball out at the top of his drop or he can work through progressions and beat defenses with second-reaction plays. He throws with good velocity and puts the ball on the money when throwing on the move. Nix has shown great improvement with his pocket poise. He’s capable of moving the sticks as a scrambler or as part of the running game.
“Some of his gaudy production has been driven by the Oregon offense’s design, but his talent clearly stands out. I’ve harbored bias from watching the overwhelmed version of Nix during his Auburn days, but as the saying goes, ‘tape don’t lie.’ Nix appears more than ready to attack the league with an NFL-caliber skill set.”
Broncos Offense in Desperate Need of Help
If you want evidence of the desperate state Denver’s offense has been in recently, remember that the franchise hasn’t had a player hit 1,000 yards rushing or receiving since 2019.
The last players to do it? Current wide receiver Courtland Sutton had 1,112 receiving yards in 2019, which was the same year former running back Phillip Lindsay had 1,011 rushing yards.
Denver hasn’t made the playoffs since winning the Super Bowl following the 2015 season.
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Broncos’ Rookie QB Already Being Called ‘Draft-Day Steal’