20-year-old connection links this NFL Draft QB to Denver Broncos

When you keep looking deeper into the potential fit, it makes more and more sense as to who the Denver Broncos could target at QB in the 2024 NFL Draft. It's getting to the point where it's become harder to argue the flip side of this. When the Broncos benched Russell Wilson, that essentially ended the Wilson era in Denver.

Sean Payton likely took the job knowing that he'd have to try to make it work with Wilson for at least 2023, and it's clear that Payton didn't want to work with the QB for much longer. Well, you can't fault him. Payton runs an all-time great offense and needs a very specific type of QB to run the offense. In the 2024 NFL Draft, there are a couple of QBs most notably that could fit Payton's offense.

Obviously, I'm sure Sean Payton would love to draft Caleb Williams, but among the most realistic targets that present the best fit, the most logical QB might be Oregon's Bo Nix. Nix might not be the most exciting prospect, but his skillset is nearly perfect for Sean Payton's offense. In fact, his draft profile on NFL.com written by Lance Zierlein only furthers this:

"Rare five-year starting quarterback whose play has matured in front of our eyes. Nix displays the accuracy, arm talent and athleticism consistent with today’s brand of pro quarterback. 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."

- Lance Zierlein / NFL.com

And perhaps most notably, Zierlein lists his NFL comparison for Bo Nix as former Dallas Cowboys QB Tony Romo. Well, why would Tony Romo be the most notable part of this? I'll tell you. Let's start with this piece of information from Gary Myers:

An almost 20-year-old connection could truly indicate where the Denver Broncos plan on going at QB in the 2024 NFL Draft. If an NFL.com analyst thinks Bo Nix is similar to Tony Romo, wouldn't Sean Payton have a similar opinion? I think so. From 2003-2005, Sean Payton was with the Dallas Cowboys as the QBs coach and the assistant head coach. Romo's rookie year was 2003, and even though Romo did not play substantive snaps until 2006, you have to figure that Payton played a big part in Romo's development.

And frankly, Tony Romo was incredibly underrated. Across his career, he accumulated a 78-49 regular season record along with 248 touchdown passes and a strong passer rating of 97.1. Romo was excellent in the pocket and could make plays with his legs if needed. Bo Nix does possess many similarities to Romo, and if Sean Payton can see that, he might already have his mind made up.