NFL Draft Profile: Broncos quarterback Bo Nix

A scouting report on the Denver Broncos 12th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, quarterback, Bo Nix.

The Denver Broncos selected Oregon quarterback Bo Nix with their 12th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. He is a 6’2, 214-pound quarterback who is considered one the top players at his position and is considered a great fit for Sean Payton’s offense. NFL Network’s lead draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah has Nix ranked as his 33rd overall player in the draft and has him ranked as his fifth best quarterback in the draft.

Nix played five seasons in college and the past two seasons at Oregon where had two breakout seasons that made him a Heisman finalist this past year. During his two years at Oregon, Nix totaled 8,101 yards, 74 touchdowns, and only 10 interceptions. He added 143 carries for 744 yards and a whopping 20 rushing touchdowns as well during his two year stint at Oregon.

Player Profile

Height: 6-2

Weight: 214 pounds

Hand Size: 10 1/8 inches

Age: 24 years old

Film Room

Scouting Report

Strengths

• Five-year starter with 61 career starts(three years at Auburn and two years at Oregon) and enters the NFL as an experienced quarterback
• Pretty good arm strength and flashed the ability to drive the ball when needed
• Good arm elasticity and can throw from multiple arm angles
• Very athletic, mobile, has quick nimble feet, can extend the play if needed, and can be a weapon as a runner (38 career rushing TDs in college)
• Accurate when throwing on the run and on designed rollouts
• Layers his passes well and will throw with touch over linebackers and safeties in the middle of the field
• Most accurate passer in college football history
• Handles noise in the pocket well and throws accurately from the pocket
• Quick processor who goes through his progressions and often makes the correct read
• Gets the ball out quickly and avoids getting sacked
• Thrives in the quick passing game and will be at his best in a quick-rhythm passing attack
• Displays toughness and competitiveness on the field
• Heisman finalist this year (finished third in voting)
• Would be a great fit in Sean Payton’s offense

Weaknesses

• Age is a slight concern (24 years old)
• Played in a friendly offense at Oregon that had a lot of one-read plays and screen passes behind the line of scrimmage.
• Struggles at times with decision-making when under pressure and on the run
• Sometimes tries to do too much when extending the play

What other analysts are saying about Oregon quarterback Bo Nix

NFL Network’s lead draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah – Link

Nix is an experienced quarterback (61 starts at Oregon and Auburn) with outstanding accuracy and toughness. He has average height and a thick/sturdy frame. He is at his best in the quick-rhythm passing game. He has quick feet in his setup, scans the field with urgency and accurately delivers the ball. He has a compact release and generates velocity to drive the ball to all three levels. He shows touch to layer the ball over linebackers and under safeties. He is accurate on designed rollouts. He does need to improve habits under duress, though, as he occasionally fails to feel back-side run-throughs and also falls off some throws when faced with interior pressure. He’s an urgent athlete and is effective as a runner, especially on zone reads. His coaches rave about his leadership and toughness. Overall, Nix’s combination of competitiveness, intelligence and experience reminds me of Jalen Hurts coming out of college.

NFL.com’s draft analyst Lance Zierlein – Link

Rare five-year starting quarterback whose play has matured in front of our eyes. Nix displays the accuracy, arm talent and athleticism consistent with today’s brand of pro quarterback. He can be punctual in getting the ball out at the top of his drop or he can work through progressions and beat defenses with second-reaction plays. He throws with good velocity and puts the ball on the money when throwing on the move. Nix has shown great improvement with his pocket poise. He’s capable of moving the sticks as a scrambler or as part of the running game. Some of his gaudy production has been driven by the Oregon offense’s design, but his talent clearly stands out. I’ve harbored bias from watching the overwhelmed version of Nix during his Auburn days, but as the saying goes, “tape don’t lie.” Nix appears more than ready to attack the league with an NFL-caliber skill set.

The Athletic’s lead draft analyst Dane Brugler – Link

A two-year starter at Oregon, Nix was an ideal fit in offensive coordinator Will Stein’s zone-read, West Coast offense (primarily “11” personnel), which was tailored to fit his strengths. After three up-and-down seasons at Auburn, the pressure appeared to be off his shoulders in Eugene, and he rediscovered his confidence, becoming the first player in college football history to surpass 55 touchdowns at two different schools. Finishing third in the Heisman Trophy voting in his final season, he led the FBS in total touchdowns (51) in 2023 and became just the second player in FBS history to surpass 17,000 total yards. With his quick, strong release, Nix incorporates different arm angles to quickly get the ball to his weapons. He is outstanding finding and attacking the voids in zone coverage and is at his best throwing on the move or when creating second-chance plays. However, the Ducks’ offense was designed to get the ball out of his hands quickly (he averaged 2.44 seconds per dropback in 2023, fourth fastest in the FBS), and his average depth of target was only 6.8 yards in 2023 (third lowest in FBS), leading to questions about him reading out a defense from a constrained pocket in the NFL. Overall, Nix gets in trouble when he plays loose with his technique and his eyes speed up on him, but he understands where to go with the football, and his scrambling can give defenses fits. Though it feels unlikely that he will ever rank among the 15 best quarterbacks in the NFL, he has the tools to become a middle-of-the-road starter.

Final Thoughts

I have been a big supporter of Bo Nix leading up to the draft and I am excited that they drafted him. Ideally, they could have moved back and picked up some extra draft capital, but they got their guy at 12 and I really like the fit.

Head coach Sean Payton looks for specific traits in a quarterback and Nix checks a lot of those boxes. He’s a quick processor, doesn’t take sacks, gets the ball out quickly, is accurate with the ball, has plus athleticism and just fits into Payton’s offensive system really well.

Add in his experience, pro-readiness, and talent and I think he is the Broncos week one starter and instantly the best quarterback on the roster. He will compete with the others, but you have to think he is the favorite for the job.

Overall, I like the pick and I am anxious to see what Nix can do in Sean Payton’s offense. I am hopeful that he can become the guy and finally give the Broncos our franchise quarterback that we have been wanting since Peyton Manning retired.