5 reasons why Bo Nix is a perfect quarterback for the Denver Broncos

For a fifth year in a row, the Oregon Ducks have a former star selected in the first round of the NFL Draft.

Quarterback Bo Nix was drafted by the Denver Broncos as the No. 12 overall pick and the No. 6 quarterback of the night.

Nix had a record-breaking career for the Ducks after transferring to Eugene from the Auburn Tigers.

With 4,508 passing yards and 51 total touchdowns in his final season of college football, Nix cemented himself as an elite NCAA quarterback.

Despite five quarterbacks being drafted ahead of the former Duck, many argued that Nix is set to become a franchise player for the Broncos.

Here are 5 reasons why Nix is the perfect quarterback for head coach Sean Payton’s roster:

Sean Payton molds Hall of Fame quarterbacks

The Broncos head coach Sean Payton has all but written his own name into the NFL Hall of Fame and a big part of that has been his ability to utilize his quarterback.

One QB who has excelled under Payton is a slightly well-known player named Drew Brees. 

Despite Brees being an overlooked player heading into college and falling to the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft, Payton and his quarterback set records together.

Payton has the opportunity to do something very similar with Nix on his roster. Nix will have to share a locker room with fellow quarterbacks Zach Wilson, Jarrett Stidham, and Ben DiNucci but should easily be able to earn the starting job.

Once Nix becomes comfortable with Denver’s system, he and Payton will take the NFL by storm.

Nix can scramble when the pocket collapses

Oregon had one of the greatest offensive lines in college football during the 2023 season so Nix wasn’t pressured very often.

But, when defensive linemen did make their way toward the Oregon quarterback, Nix stunned opponents by escaping seemingly impossible situations.

Over five seasons in the NCAA, Nix ran for 1,613 yards and 38 touchdowns on the ground, including an 80-yard dash for the Ducks in 2022.

His sound footwork is a huge positive of Nix’s overall player profile and should benefit him greatly as the Broncos continue to improve their offensive line.

Nix’s arm strength has only increased

Over the years, many analysts questioned if Nix's deep ball would be good enough for him to compete at the professional level.

Throughout his college career, Nix completed multiple deep passes to prove the naysayers wrong including a 91-yard completion in 2020 and an 84-yard pass in 2023.

On average, Nix's longest completions each season were 78.2 yards deep and he continued to prove the value of his arm strength after his time with the Ducks came to an end.

At both the 2024 NFL Combine and Oregon's Pro Day, Nix completed multiple pass attempts for depth and showed off his accuracy from a distance.

Nix’s accuracy is already at a professional level

Nix set the NCAA record for single-season completion percentage at 77.4 percent after his unstoppable performance against Liberty to end his college career.

In other words, there's no debating if Nix is accurate. He is in fact the most accurate quarterback to ever enter the NFL Draft from the NCAA.

While Nix lacked receiving talent at Auburn, his completion percentages only dipped below 60 percent in his first two seasons. In 2021, he completed 61 percent of his passes and he saw his completion rate skyrocket once he joined the Ducks.

In 2022, Nix's completion rate hit 71.9 percent with 3,593 passing yards and 67 touchdowns through the air.

His final collegiate season was when he broke the NCAA record and that speaks for itself.

Nix is an elite decision-maker

Beyond all the statistical highlights of Nix's resume, there's one more strength that makes him stand above the rest.

Nix's decision making in games turned him into a nationally elite quarterback in 2023.

His unmatchable experience at the collegiate level turned him into one of the most highly-educated quarterbacks in the league (both academically and athletically).

Nix knows football, that's just a fact, through and through. His ability to read a defense before the ball is even snapped and know exactly what he needs to do is unprecedented.

As he learns to compete at the NFL level, his brilliant decision-making and overall knowledge of the game will take him and the Broncos to unimaginable heights.

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