The Denver Broncos used their first-round pick on Oregon QB, Bo Nix, but some don't seem to be fond of the selection. If there is one thing we can all agree on, hopefully, it's that Nix can develop into a franchise QB for the Denver Broncos, as they've been without one since 2014.
QBs developing looks different from player to player. You have the case of CJ Stroud, who quickly proved he's no worse than a top-10 QB in this league. And then you might have someone like Josh Allen, who needed into his third year to cement his status as a franchise passer. For Bo Nix, it might look much different.
Either way, there are legitimate reasons to be excited about the young passer, even if you personally do not like the pick.
3 reasons to be excited about Denver Broncos QB Bo Nix
1. Sean Payton is a huge fan
The Denver Broncos reportedly had Nix as their third-ranked QB, behind Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels. Everyone pretty much knew that Williams and Daniels were going to go within the top three picks, so if you think about it, Denver actually got their QB1. Well, Sean Payton, really the only person's opinion that holds any weight with Nix, is a huge fan of the kid:
"When you watch him, it's pretty calming, Payton said. He's very efficient.Sean Payton / denverbroncos.com
… He's sitting there in the office, and you could tell that he probably had been in the hotel room, do not disturb, pot of coffee, just grinding on it. So he's extremely intelligent, really smart.
So that was kind of the start, and then you get through more tape and more tape, and he was just an ideal fit for what we want here.
I would say that probably early into the process … he stood out in a lot of areas, Payton said. You pay close attention to all the film study. Obviously, he's played a lot of football, but [he stood out in] sack differential, turnover differential, accuracy, third-down passing. [He was] first, first, first, first in this class. First in end-of-half, first in end-of-game, two-minute situations, second in red zone. Then let's do another passing statistic and remove a lot of the short, underneath throws. Obviously, that's part of what they do offensively, and you remove that, and you come back with the analytics and it's still first. I would say his arm strength … — we saw it at the Pro Day, but even in the private workout — was very good."
So yeah, the head coach, the man who has final roster authority and who is calling and scheming the offense seems to think he's going to be a great fit. How does that not excite you?
2. Bo Nix was a thoroughly experienced college prospect
Bo Nix is going to be 24 years old during his rookie season, which isn't the best of ages for a signal-caller, but it's not a huge deal. The Vikings took a 21-year-old in JJ McCarthy, so that might buy them more time in his development. However, with many of the older prospects, one thing that tends to stand out with them is their experience.
During his career at Auburn and Oregon, Nix attempted 1,936 passes. He completed 66.4% of them, throwing for 15,352 yards and 113 touchdowns. He's got a ton of experience at this level and had to learn a new offense nearly every single season. The experience isn't necessarily a negative, as some draft profiles will sometime feature a player's age as being a "con" if you will.
That is not the case for Bo Nix, so you have to figure that he's seen quite a bit at the QB position. You also have to figure that he's played a significant amount of time from the gun and under center. That much college experience also means he's made all of the throws 100x over. You see, just because Bo Nix might not be a 21-year-old elite athlete at the QB position, doesn't mean he was overdrafted or isn't going to work in the NFL.
He brings the kind of experience that many NFL coaches would love, and the Denver Broncos seemed to be huge fans of that part of his game.
3. The Denver Broncos have a process and structure in place now thanks to Nix
The process is here, and it began in Year 1 of the Sean Payton era. I can spend another 1,000 words talking about how the Broncos got to this point, but maybe that's a different story for a different day. My point here is that the Broncos have a clear process in place now by bringing a rookie QB into the mix.
Nix isn't a perfect prospect, and heck, he might end up being a bust, but what Denver has in place now on offense is quite encouraging. Besides Nix, they're returning four starters from a top-10 offensive line in 2023. They're also fielding a competent group of wide receivers, which include two new additions in veteran Josh Reynolds and rookie Troy Franklin.
The backfield is also in a good spot, as all of Javonte Williams, Samaje Perine, Jaleel McLaughlin, and rookies Audric Estime and Blake Watson will, in some combination, give the Broncos a rock-solid group of backs.
The offense is set up for a rookie QB to success, and it's nice that Denver actually took that route. Bo Nix now gives the Broncos, potentially, a stud quarterback on a rookie deal for years, a potential Super Bowl window opening, and a ton of cap space as early as the 2025 offseason. As it stands right now, according to Over The Cap, Denver is projected to have over $68 million in cap space.
Just think; if Bo Nix ends up hitting it off and gives the Broncos confidence into year two, the team now has a reason to do what the Houston Texans are doing this offseason, and that's go all-in on the young QB.
Bo Nix offers the Denver Broncos a clear process and structure.