NFL Draft

Broncos drafted a capped-out QB in Bo Nix

The Broncos used a first round pick on Bo Nix, but how much more room does he have left to grow?

Cory Kinnan

Oregon quarterback Bo Nix leaps into the end zone for a touchdown as the No. 9 Oregon Ducks host
Oregon quarterback Bo Nix leaps into the end zone for a touchdown as the No. 9 Oregon Ducks host / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA
In this story:

Broncos drafted a capped-out QB in Bo Nix

  1. Drafting Nix is a sign of desperation from a GM on the hotseat
  2. The Broncos have not set Bo Nix up for success
  3. Comparing Bo Nix to the Mac Jones pick from 2021

The 2024 NFL Draft saw six quarterbacks fly off the board in the top-12 picks. That sixth quarterback to come off the board? Oregon's Bo Nix, who landed with Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos.

This was a move that drew quite a bit of criticism (not as much as the Michael Penix Jr. pick, but alas), and rightfully so. This was a topic of conversation on the latest episode of the Daft on Draft Podcast. Breaking down the landing spots of the top seven quarterbacks and their fits with their new homes, Nix and the Broncos was zeroed in on.

The full audio of the episode can be found on both Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Here is what was discussed when talking about Nix and his fit in Denver:

Drafting Nix is a sign of desperation from a GM on the hotseat

"He did not look well at Auburn. And then he looked good at Oregon because he, for all accounts, is throwing the shortest depth of target of any quarterback in this class or last year's class. Throwing a lot of sticks, throwing a lot of screens, just RPO ripping it. Like that's it. And that's not really translatable to what Sean Payton is going to do offensively. He's not a quarterback I would have taken in the first round. Again, similar to Penix, I had a third round grade on Bo Nix. Not a quarterback I would have taken in the top 15.

Traditionally, you're lucky to get two good quarterbacks out of a quarterback class. When's the last time a quarterback class has produced six good quarterbacks? When's the last time the sixth quarterback hasn't come off the board before the third round? It felt like a desperate play for Denver... George Paton is going to get fired if the Broncos don't do something well this year."

The Broncos have not set Bo Nix up for success

"You're trading away all of these assets. Jerry Jeudy [is gone], and Courtland Sutton is about to get traded. You didn't draft a wide receiver until the fourth round in Troy Franklin. He doesn't, Boadix doesn't really have anybody to throw to. Garett Bolles is under contract for one more year, but that offensive line is not really in a great place. They've got Quinn Meinerz, but that offensive line is not in a great place. Then you're picking a quarterback who, how much better can he get?"

Comparing Bo Nix to the Mac Jones pick from 2021

"When we look at Mac Jones, what he did as a Patriot as a rookie, we're like, "oh my God, we all severely underrated Mac Jones." Well, no, like he's doing the same stuff he does at Alabama, but like what you see is what you're going to get with Mac Jones. He wasn't throwing the football more than 20 yards down the field. You know, he was, he's a smart processor. He's getting the ball out quick, but it wasn't anything that's like, "yeah, this is breathtaking," but he was running that offense and doing what was asked of him.

And then you see when teams start to catch on to that, well, can Mac Jones improvise? No. Can Mac Jones create outside of structure? No. Can Mac Jones drive the football into tight windows when opposing defenses? No. Like, well, we just have to bump and run and we have to press. No. So that's when the wheels fell over the past two years for Mac Jones. So I feel like it's, and we might see a similar situation with Bo Nix where he might have some success early and we're going to overreact to it and then it's going to come back down to earth at some point."

Published
Cory Kinnan

CORY KINNAN