The last of this year’s six quarterbacks chosen in Round 1 will be the first to sign his rookie deal, with ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter indicating Bo Nix put pen to paper with the Broncos on Friday.
As the Broncos have tried and failed repeatedly to replace Peyton Manning, Nix is the second Round 1 QB the team has turned to since the legendary passer’s retirement. The team whiffed badly on 2016 first-rounder Paxton Lynch. Chosen 14 spots earlier (12th overall), Nix will be counted on to help the franchise move on from the Russell Wilson mistake admission.
Setting a Division I-FBS QB record with 61 starts (at Auburn and Oregon), Nix dazzled at the Pac-12 program. The Broncos made an effort to separate the bevy of screen and short-yardage throws Nix made in the Ducks’ system — one that produced a 45-3 TD-INT ratio last season — and the team came away with an assessment Nix remained one of the draft’s most accurate passers. On the whole, Nix completed an astonishing 77.4% of his passes last season.
The Broncos have Jarrett Stidham under contract, and the team finalized a Zach Wilson trade days before the draft. The Sean Payton–George Paton combo had zeroed in on Nix by the time the Wilson trade was final, and it appears likely the five-year college starter will be under center early this season — if not by Week 1. The Broncos waived Ben DiNucci earlier this week. Stidham’s two-year, $10MM deal calls for a $4.49MM 2024 base salary; just $1MM of that is guaranteed.
Payton admitted he played a part in a smokescreen effort centered around the Broncos as a threat to move up the board. While connections to J.J. McCarthy were present — leading to the Vikings to trade up two spots for the Michigan passer — the Broncos were enamored with Nix. They are believed to have rated the Oregon-developed prospect as this draft’s third-best QB. Many disagree with that assessment, but Payton will get to work training the 6-foot-2 passer in his system.
Nix topped out at 16 TD passes in a season in three years at Auburn; like Michael Penix Jr., his numbers took a leap following a 2022 transfer. Nix threw 29 TD passes and seven picks at Oregon in 2022, adding a career-high 510 rushing yards and 14 TDs. It remains to be seen how much Nix’s scrambling ability will translate to the NFL, with his arm strength drawing some questions. The Broncos will bank on their handpicked QB’s accuracy and quick release, and the team has his former Ducks center — 2023 seventh-round pick Alex Forsyth — and top wide receiver (2024 fourth-rounder Troy Franklin) in place as the NFL development process begins.
Since Manning’s March 2016 retirement, the Broncos have used 13 starting QBs. The Lynch pick busting led the team to try free agency (Case Keenum), trades (Wilson, Joe Flacco, Teddy Bridgewater) and the second round (Drew Lock). Nix is the earliest Broncos QB draftee since Jay Cutler in 2006; the Payton regime will largely be shaped by how the latest QB1 candidate performs.
The Vikings traded up from #11 to #10.
That’s ONE SPOT, not two.
In part the move was made to keep another team from trading with the Jets to acquire pick #10 and leapfrog ahead of the Vikings at #11.
Just may have been the smokescreen by the Broncos and/or others.
When this dude is a career B/U do we still have to call Peyton a mastermind? There’s a reason he’s 24 rather than 21-22 years old and finally going pro; he’s average.
NIL is a factor too. Some kids can make more money in college than a 3rd or 4th round draft pick.
No problem with that. But wouldn’t that mean he’s a 3rd-4th round QB then?
Maybe last year he would’ve been a second or third round pick.
if he was, then he should have entered the draft. Better money and don’t risk injury playing NCAA ball. I bet if a NIL player gets hurt, that money stops flowing in.
He was also factoring in that the Ducks had a Team that was a favorite to win Pac 12 and possibly college playoffs.
Would you risk 1 year of a 3rd round pick salary over 3rd round NFL pick? I bet most 3rd round picks get a 2nd contract as well. Even if it’s for vets minimum, add in health care for life, and a pension. More money in the NFL.
I know what you mean. Tough desicions. The players have to decide what they want.