As quarterbacks were quickly snapped up in the early stages of the draft, the Denver Broncos found themselves with just one contender – Bo Nix from Oregon. With a limited pool of resources available for trading higher up, it seemed as though the team’s roster lacked suitable alternatives. However, Denver is ecstatically satisfied with their latest addition to the squad.
Speaking shortly after selecting Nix on Thursday night, Head Coach Nathaniel Hackett remarked that “he’s extremely intelligent and really smart.” He went further by stating that when watching him play, it was a calming experience as he displayed an abundance of NFL-worthy throws in Oregon’s offense. In fact, the coach joked about becoming irritated with analysts who overhyped Nix before they made their decision to draft him – “I would be like ‘Shh! Can you please keep quiet?’”
Denver seemed torn between following Drew Brees-centered principles due to its historic affinity for the player, but it was clear that this time around, the team’s focus shifted towards finding the best possible talent. Hackett acknowledged that “we want the best player,” despite his acknowledgment that sometimes the offense must adapt based on individual capabilities of their QB – something he had seen with previous players like Teddy Bridgewater and Jameis Winston when Brees was unavailable to play.
The selection of Nix made NFL Draft history, as it marked only the sixth time in league annals that six quarterbacks were chosen during the first round; however, four out of those QBs came off the board from pick 14 onwards – a trend which was also observed back in 1983.
Nix initially started his collegiate career at Auburn University before moving to Oregon last year where he set new personal bests for yards (3,593), touchdowns (29) and completion percentage (71.9%). The impressive performance was a far cry from the mediocre results that Nix had previously achieved during his time with Tigers – but 2023 proved to be an exceptional year as he amassed staggering figures of 4,509 yards and 45 touchdowns while maintaining a remarkable completion rate of 77.4%.
The team’s newest acquisition will join fellow QBs Zach Wilson, Jarrett Stidham and Ben DiNucci in Denver as they embark on the next chapter in their journey to success – one that seems increasingly promising with Nix now firmly a part of it all.
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