The Bo Nix era is officially underway for the Denver Broncos and the young quarterback is coming in with as much poise and charisma as Broncos fans have ever really seen from a first-round quarterback. Of course, Nix is 24 years old -- the second-oldest first-round quarterback in league history -- so the maturity is to be expected. But what really sets Nix apart, even this early, is the authenticity he exudes.
Nix was by the book throughout the entire pre-draft process. He consistently said all the right things and carried himself well. That has certainly carried over into his first NFL rookie minicamp.
There's an understood pressure that comes along with being an NFL quarterback. There's even more pressure right now to be the quarterback of the Denver Broncos because the team has been struggling to find any consistency at that position. Okay, let's be honest -- they have been struggling to find even competency at the quarterback position. There has definitely been some consistency...it's been consistently bad.
Nix is fully ready to embrace that pressure that comes along with being the quarterback of the Denver Broncos:
"I’m super excited to be here. The city is incredible. I can’t believe I get to wear a Broncos jersey and go out there and do what so many greats have done before me. I don’t take that lightly and I’m not going to take it for granted. Pressure gives you opportunities. The more pressure and responsibility you have, the more you have to go out there and consistently earn it."Bo Nix (via Broncos PR)
The honeymoon phase of having a brand-new rookie quarterback in the building is rightfully being enjoyed by the masses of Broncos Country right now. As skeptical as some people may be about Nix, there seems to be growing optimism that this could really work between he and Sean Payton.
It's not fair to expect overnight success, by any means, but there's something to the idea that Nix has been almost universally considered "pro ready", even by his biggest critics. The primary issue people seem to have with Nix is a perceived lack of "upside" at the next level, which is really a weird criticism.
Even if Nix is physically maxed out, we see plenty of players grow and improve as they gain a better understanding of the game, more experience on the field, and process faster. In those ways, there's a ton of room for growth for Nix, who proved to be absolutely dominant at the collegiate level.
Watching his journey into the Denver Broncos' starting lineup is going to be absolutely fascinating. He's being looked up to by the entire group of incoming rookies right now, but how much will things change when the rest of the veterans join him on the field on May 21? How will this roster respond to another QB competition and guys splitting reps?
No matter what, it seems Nix isn't going to be flustered.