The offseason fodder for the Denver Broncos to use as motivation is basically a buffet at this point. Despite the fact that the Denver Broncos won eight games last season and improved by three wins from the year prior, not many national pundits are buying the idea that the team is going to be competitive in 2024. The Broncos and head coach Sean Payton are being clowned for every possible reason this offseason, from cutting Russell Wilson and other key players to their new uniforms and NFL Draft strategy.
The Broncos aren't exactly winning NFL fandom over with their offseason like the Houston Texans are, but some of the analysis out there will induce the heaviest possible sigh and the hardest roll of your eyes into the back of your head. It's predictable at this point. Low-hanging fruit.
Sports Illustrated released an article highlighting the five most likely "bust" candidates from the 2024 NFL Draft. The article was written by Matt Verderame, a die-hard Kansas City Chiefs fan.
Can you guess who the Chiefs fan pegged as the "most likely" bust candidate from the 2024 NFL Draft? Even though his article was narrowed down to AFC selections, you knew who the #1 slot was being handed to before you even scrolled through the article.
That's right -- Verderame has Bo Nix as the most likely bust in the 2024 NFL Draft (among AFC selection), and he gave some...interesting analysis as to the reason for his selection.
"Why he’ll be a bust: Nix has a few things going against him. First, the Broncos are terrible around him. One could argue they have the worst roster in the NFL, including a leaky offensive line and a weapons group that has Courtland Sutton and not much else.Matt Verderame
But the problems aren’t only about the supporting cast. Denver is also taking a chance on a kid who struggled mightily at Auburn, leading to his transfer. When playing within a pro-style offense with the Tigers for three seasons, Nix completed less than 60 percent of his attempts. Finally, he’s 24 years old. Has he already hit his ceiling? "
Alright, let's go ahead and pick this apart. The Broncos are terrible around Bo Nix? The worst roster in the NFL, including a leaky offensive line?
The Broncos were 8th in pass block win rate last season and 3rd in run block win rate according to ESPN. You could argue that no rookie quarterback is going to a better situation when it comes to the offensive line.
It's interesting that Verderame also accuses Nix of transferring away from Auburn because of his struggles with the pro-style offense. It probably had everything to do with that and nothing to do with the fact that Gus Malzahn, who recruited Nix to Auburn, was fired after the 2020 season. It's ridiculous to think that the instability of the Auburn program as Nix entered his Draft eligibility seasons had nothing to do with his transfer to a better situation.
I can't help but find it a bit hilarious that people are really dogging this selection by the Broncos. The Broncos are the only team that won eight games last season to draft a quarterback this year. Everyone else who drafted a quarterback won seven or fewer. The Broncos were literally the "best" team to draft a quarterback in the 1st round this year. And the Broncos have one of the best coaches of the last 20 years in the NFL in Sean Payton, a head coach who has never given anyone a single reason to believe that this selection of Nix won't work out.
It's fair to be skeptical -- none of us have seen Bo Nix play in the NFL. It's possible that he becomes a bust, but it's hilarious to see this kind of noise coming from every possible angle and the reasoning being so terrible.