Bo Nix threw, ran and elevated his name in front of league personnel one year ago at the NFL Combine. The Denver Broncos quarterback knows and understands the process it took before taking his first Sunday snaps. Sean Payton observed it all in Indianapolis before deciding on Nix in the first round.
But was Nix the guy Payton targeted all along? His answer to Peter Schrager of the NFL Network Sunday will surprise some fans. In fact, Payton remembered watching Nix turn to his arm last year at Lucas Oil Stadium.
“Sean Payton tells us that Bo Nix didn't throw particularly well at the Combine last year,” Schrager revealed on X. “And at this point in 2024, he wasn't their ‘guy' at all.”
It's an awfully perplexing statement, considering how well Nix performed in the end for Denver. He helped end the Broncos' long streak of missing the playoffs. But Schrager unveiled the “lesson” in Nix's draft process.
“The lesson? This just the start. There's still a long way to go in the process,” Schrager added.
Nix, again, took Denver back to the playoffs for the first time since its Super Bowl 50 run of the 2015 season. He joined Jayden Daniels as the only rookie quarterbacks to take their teams to the playoffs. Now, Payton and the Broncos can focus on building around the Nix. The Broncos are already projected to land his Oregon teammate Tez Johnson.
Pair of rookie QBs compared to Broncos' Bo Nix
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Now teams will lock in and find which quarterback can replicate the success Nix delivered.
There's already the feeling that the next Nix hails from the Southeastern Conference. One fan called Jaxson Dart of Ole Miss “this year's Bo Nix” after watching him sling it on Saturday. The 21-year-old Dart shares some similarities to Nix.
He's another who transferred out of his original school — only to ascend to new heights at Ole Miss. Both also measure at 6-foot-2. Nix, though, entered the NFL as an older prospect (24 years of age).
Dart isn't the only QB compared to Nix. Even NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport identified his pick to become a “Nix” in 2025: Will Howard of Ohio State.
Perhaps Dart and Howard can sneak into the first round, just like Nix.
