Anonymous NFL Personnel Describe Denver Broncos' Bo Nix's Greatest Strengths

As Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix is entering his second season in the league, the former Oregon Ducks quarterback is looking to take a bigger step after a successful rookie campaign. Anonymous NFL personnel around the league highlighted Nix's greatest strengths ahead of the season.

Dec 19, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) warms up prior to the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix had a strong rookie season and there is high anticipation for his second year. The former Oregon Ducks quarterback brought his team to the playoffs, and showed tremendous growth throughout the year.

Broncos coach Sean Payton has full confidence in his quarterback, and Denver could be a rising star in the league. Playing in the AFC West is a challenge, but Nix has the potential to be one of the top quarterbacks in the league.

Where Nix Ranks Among NFL Quarterbacks

Aug 9, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) drops back to pass in the first quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images | David Gonzales-Imagn Images

The Athletic put together a panel to rank the NFL quarterbacks by tiers. Nix was ranked in Tier 3, which is not a poor placement for a player heading into just his second season in the league, as the sixth quarterback selected in the 2024 NFL Draft.

The only quarterback rated higher than Nix from the 2024 draft class is Washington Commanders’ Jayden Daniels, who not only brought his team to the postseason but also led them to the NFC Championship game.

Despite Nix having a strong season with the Oregon Ducks in 2023, he was not thought of as highly as the other quarterbacks in the draft class. Nix was selected by the Broncos with the No. 12 overall pick.

Nix’s Mobility Exceeded Expectations

August 9, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) warms up before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Payton recently spoke about how Nix’s most underrated talent is running the ball, and it was one of the reasons the Broncos selected the former Duck. While it may have been underrated during the draft process, the league is starting to take notice.

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Per The Athletic, an anonymous general manager, who was not in the market for a quarterback, believed Nix would be a dink-and-dunk quarterback, but the former Ducks player turned out to be more mobile than expected. Anonymous coaches around the league said a similar sentiment, highlighting his mobility.

“I think the biggest strength is he is very mobile and can keep his eyes down the field when he’s moving,” The anonymous offensive coach told The Athletic. “He made big plays on the move.”

Oregon quarterback Bo Nix throws out a pass during the first half as the No. 13 Oregon Ducks take on the Stanford Cardinal Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. Ncaa Football Oregon Stanford Football Stanford At Oregon | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In the 2024 regular season, Nix rushed the ball 92 times for 430 yards. He also had four rushing touchdowns. Although the Broncos could not keep up with the Buffalo Bills in the wild card round and suffered a tough loss, Nix had four carries for 43 yards.

“He looks pretty sharp, he knows where to go with the ball, he runs better than you think, he throws better than you think,” A defensive coordinator told The Athletic. “He looks like a good competitor who makes people around him better. That is what your quarterback has to do.”

Nix finished the regular season with 3,775 passing yards, 29 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. He had a slow start, but his development in the second half of the season was apparent.

Nix And Payton Perfect Pair?

August 9, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton watches warm ups before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

One year after Payton came out of retirement, he and the Broncos selected Nix in the draft. While Nix has shown he is talented while with Oregon, working with Payton could be a perfect pairing, as he could bring out the quarterback's full potential.

One coach believes Payton will be able to develop Nix so well that not only will he and Daniels continue to grow into stars in the league, but Nix could become a better player.

“What we are going to see is Sean Payton’s ability to develop a quarterback relative to Kliff Kingsbury's ability to do that,” a coach told The Athletic. “Both players appear to be dialed into the profession of quarterbacking - taking care of the body, coming in early, leaving late, being all about ball. I’m interested in seeing who is able to grow the most this coming year. I actually think Bo Nix will win out in that.”

Payton has spent the summer highlighting his quarterback, while Nix is stepping up as a leader. With Payton’s full support and a strong team surrounding him, Nix has the chance to bring the Broncos back into the postseason and make a deep playoff run.

Nix and the Denver Broncos will kick off the 2025 NFL season against the Tennessee Titans on Sept. 7.