Justin Simmons Explains Why Bo Nix Is the Best QB of the 2024 Draft Class

Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix is consistently ranked behind fellow draft-class alumni Drake Maye, Caleb Williams, and Jayden Daniels on ubiquitous NFL QB rankings and offseason lists.

While any perception of Nix disrespect grinds the collective gears of Broncos Country, the stats don't lie either. Nix has gone about his business undeterred, and his NFL record-tying 24 regular-season wins since entering the league two years ago speak volumes.

The national pundits tend to get drawn to flashy statistics and accolades, regardless of how Nix has excelled in all those relevant categories. But winning games is the bottom line.

When it comes to how the 2024 quarterbacks are perceived and portrayed around the NFL, former Broncos safety Justin Simmons has Nix placed firmly ahead of his draft classmates.

"No disrespect to any other quarterbacks, but from his class, like, by far the best," Simmons recently told Kay Adams of the Up and Adams Show. "In his first two years of playing, all he did was get his team to their first playoff appearance in eight years. I would know! And then, he immediately followed it up with an AFC championship berth, which we all were bummed that he wasn't able to play in that, but he's just a winner. So, I don't know, I just don't believe in that stuff. I believe in what happens, and what we're seeing happening is that he's the best quarterback right now."

The Rich Get Richer

When it comes to the team Nix leads, Simmons likes the Broncos' offseason approach, which included adding some shiny new weapons on offense, because it only helps the quarterback. Simmons can't quite understand why the 2026 Broncos aren't being viewed as a top-10 Super Bowl threat by the oddsmakers.

"I mean, this team was absolutely unbelievable last year," Simmons told Adams. "Yes, they won a lot of close games. But, isn't that what you want? A team that's confident in the fourth quarter. Three-point game, seven-point game, doesn't matter. They find ways to win. They have a great young quarterback. They have an amazing defense... they just added more talent to the offense. Yeah, I'm not sure, but I wouldn't buy it."

Only the devastating ankle fracture Nix suffered against the Buffalo Bills in the divisional round stopped the Broncos from going to the Super Bowl. Perhaps the narrative would be different if Nix hadn't so unfortunately missed out on facing Maye and the New England Patriots in the AFC championship game.

Had Nix made the Super Bowl, there's a good chance that the greater NFL audience would have gotten a chance to see his late-game heroics and the winning traits that have separated him from his fellow 2024-drafted quarterbacks.

Where Is the Nix Love?

Bo Nix. — Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) walks off the field after the AFC Divisional Round game against the Buffalo Bills. | Dustin Bradford / IMAGO / Icon Sportswire

Simmons is aware that people have overlooked just how polished Nix has looked since he entered the pro ranks, as well as the fact that he led his team to consecutive playoff berths out of the gate. Remember, before Nix arrived in Denver, the Broncos had gone eight straight years without making the playoffs, and Simmons was around for every one of those failed campaigns.

Regardless of Nix not getting his flowers on the national platform, he has kept himself ahead of his talented draft classmates, according to Simmons. Like all of Broncos Country, the recently retired safety can't wrap his brain around why Nix doesn't get the credit he so obviously deserves.

"I think he's playing better than all of them," Simmons told Adams. "And I think, when you are showing quarterbacks, you are not just going for the stats, right? You're not just saying, like, 'Here's the touchdowns, here's the interceptions, here's the passing yards throughout the season.' Ultimately, quarterbacks are evaluated by their wins. And that's just how we've evaluated it. So, if we look at it from that perspective. Mmm, I don't know. I would ask everyone else to tell me what they think."

The Takeaway

Star players from quality draft classes will always be compared to each other, and it just so happens that Nix is perhaps the least flashy of the six total first-round quarterbacks who entered the league in 2024. At the end of the day, Broncos head coach Sean Payton drafted Nix to be the face of a franchise that has been rebuilt on the fly, while being strapped down with $85 million in dead money on the salary cap, thanks to Russell Wilson's albatross of a contract.

As for the future, Simmons believes Nix will continue to excel, produce in the clutch, and set the pace for his fellow quarterbacks from the 2024 draft class. But most importantly, Nix's continued progress on this historic trajectory will keep the Broncos winning in the standings.

Eventually, the rest of the league will catch on.

Sign up for our free Denver Broncos On SI newsletter, and get breaking Broncos news delivered to your inbox daily!

Add us as a preferred source on Google