Broncos QB Bo Nix's Rookie Season vs. His Scouting Report

This time last year, the Denver Broncos were focused on scouting the NFL draft's quarterback class. With the 12th overall pick, the Broncos would go on to select Bo Nix.

Sean Payton loved Nix from the start, and he made sure he got his guy.

Not only were the Broncos busy scouting Nix, but so were draft analysts across the country, including yours truly here at Denver Broncos On SI/Mile High Huddle. So, with his impressive rookie season in the books, let’s re-examine my Nix scouting report from a year ago.

We'll start with exactly what I wrote in the pros and cons section of Nix's scouting report, then compare that with how it translated in his rookie season.

Pros

The Report

“Nix is entering the NFL with rare experience, with 61 starts under his belt. His college career started rough at Auburn, but after transferring to Oregon, he showed significant improvement, making himself the prospect he's become.

"There is much to like about Nix's pre- and post-snap reads and how quickly he goes through them. While he didn't have to make a lot of difficult reads often at Oregon, when he did, it was impressive. He also plays with a good internal clock to either get the ball out on time or extend plays to limit the pressure he faces.

"Nix has good velocity on shorter throws and works well in the middle of the field. He has good athleticism, which was utilized more at Auburn than at Oregon, but it's still on tape.

"Nix's production was great, and he took care of the ball during his time at Oregon, throwing 74 touchdowns to 10 interceptions. He has only had 26 career interceptions over five seasons as a starter.”

How it Translated

That rare experience proved worth it for the Broncos. While Nix didn’t come in and kill it right away, he picked things up quickly, and Payton put a lot on his plate early, which translated during the middle and late stretches of the season.

There were some issues with Nix's reads at the NFL level as the game's speed increased, but it didn’t stop being a positive to his game. The mostly easy-schemed reads he benefited from at Oregon weren’t a hindrance to making reads in Payton’s offense.

Nix's velocity was sometimes hit-or-miss on those shorter throws, but not to a point where it was a negative to his game. His athleticism was better than expected, and the Broncos successfully tapped into it, as he finished with 430 rushing yards and four touchdowns. To top it all off, he protected the ball well enough, which carried over from his college success in that area.

All in all, Nix's positives were displayed during his rookie season. Now, let’s analyze the cons from my original scouting report on Nix and see how they impacted in Year 1.

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Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) runs for a gain during the second quarter against the Buffalo Bills. — Jan 12, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) runs for a gain during the second quarter against the Buffalo Bills in an AFC wild card game at Highmark Stadium. | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Cons

The Report

“There are questions about Nix's arm strength when working 10-plus yards down the field. Over his two years at Oregon, 70% of his passes were thrown behind the line of scrimmage to 10 yards downfield, and he completed 83% of those attempts.

"On the 30% of Nix's throws beyond the 10-yard mark, he completed 61% of those passes. The velocity isn't consistently there on those deep shots.

"Nix also benefited from being on the offensive line, where he was pressured on 16% of dropbacks over the last two years, the lowest among QBs in the 2024 draft class. Along with the offensive line, there's a question about the overall talent Nix played with at Oregon regarding weapons and how much he elevated them versus how much the weapons made him look better.

"The Oregon offense is quarterback-friendly, with high-percentage throws and easy reads for the quarterback. On the deep shots, Nix has inconsistent placement, and his throws don't have enough arc, making it difficult for the receiver to adjust to the passes. Nix also makes extra effort to hit those throws.”

How it Translated

Most of my concerns revolved around Nix's arm talent. In his rookie season, 65.7% of his passes were behind the line of scrimmage to 10 yards downfield, and he scored 10 touchdowns to one interception in that range.

Nix completed 47.6% of his passes when pushing the ball, with 19 touchdowns to 11 interceptions. Receiver drops were an issue, but his arm wasn't as consistent as you'd hope, with some overthrows and underthrows mixed in, but he was a rookie. It's an area worth keeping an eye on.

Nix's offensive line in Denver and his athleticism made the pressure element from opposing defenses less of a concern. However, there were sometimes issues with his operations and technique when pressure did arrive.

Fit With the Broncos

The last bit to analyze was Nix's fit with the Broncos.

The Report

“Nix has enough with the short and intermediate throws to be a solid fit for the offense that Payton wants to run. While Nix has questions about his overall arm talent, he can take those deep shots as long as they're not a large part of the offense. His quick processing is also a trait Payton is looking for.”

How it Translated

This is precisely what we saw from Nix as a rookie. He fits the Payton offense well, and the unit operated well when the Broncos relied on his processing to make throws in a rhythm. However, the offensive game plan became more problematic when it became centered around deep shots, though he did connect on many as a rookie.

Overall, much of the scouting report is what we saw in Nix's rookie season. The question now becomes what steps he takes to grow from here.

Pros

Cons

Fit With the Broncos

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