When the Denver Broncos drafted Bo Nix 12th overall in the 2024 NFL draft, it instantly placed the Oregon quarterback into one of the more unique positions in the league.
Now granted, it's not like fans expected Nix to go on Day 3 or anything like that. He was widely considered a top-40 draft pick heading into the spring, and his stock elevated to certified first-round status in the lead-up to draft night, but for a team like the Broncos who didn't have a second-round pick but had holes all over their roster, going all-in on the sixth quarterback off the board without trading down to recoup additional assets felt like a risky proposition.
Still, Nix was linked to the Broncos for much of the 2024 NFL season, with talent evaluators widely believing he was tailor-made to play for Sean Payton in a Drew Brees-type role and with the Las Vegas Raiders also looking for help at QB, any movement out of pick 12 would have likely resulted in Zach Wilson or Jarrett Stidham getting a season to start under center, which, considering their NFL pedigree, isn't very good indeed.
Will Nix be able to prove the doubters wrong? Will he instantly take the QB1 spot and command Payton's offense at or better than the level Wilson did last season for pennies on the dollar? Or will he struggle in camp and end up spending much of the season on the bench, borderline guaranteeing that the Broncos will be picking early in the 2025 NFL draft? Needless to say, if any player on the Broncos has pressure to succeed and succeed early this fall, it has to be Nix.
Bo Nix is ready to compete for the Broncos QB1 spot
While the pressure is on for Nix to prove he's a player worthy of being the Broncos' quarterback of the future, replacing Wilson as the team's top star and justifying his selection over other promising players at pick 12 like Laiatu Latu or Jared Verse, he first needs to win Denver's QB1 spot in order to start which is no easy task, considering Stidham and Wilson both have extensive experience starting in the NFL.
Discussing the competition angle of his new job in Colorado, Nix told the Broncos' official website that he embraces the challenge of fighting for the QB1 job, as he knows the challenge will only make the team better.
“It's already here, and it started I guess the moment we knew we were all going to be on the same team,” Nix said of the competition. “But I have great respect for those guys and we're competing at a very high level, but it's very respectful competition. I think we all want each other to succeed. We all know that we've come from different paths and had to overcome different adversities, and that's kind of what connects us in that. We're all helping each other, and it's been great to learn from those guys and experience some things that they've experienced,” Nix told Aric DiLalla of the Broncos.
“And I think honestly, my job as a rookie is to soak up everything I can, especially from those guys. You know, Zach's played a lot and Stidham's played a lot of years. And so they've got — between the two — different situations, but a lot of knowledge, so that's what I'm excited to continue to learn in training camp. I think it's just overall healthy competition, a good competition and I think we're all going to be better coming out of it.
“It's huge, and this opportunity is obviously not just handed out. So it's a special moment and one that I definitely want to take advantage of and not take for granted and be ready for, but one that I'm also not going to just be so eager and be so gung ho that I go overboard on it. It goes back to the fine line of just acknowledging where you are, who you're around, and what situation you're in, and doing the best you can. I know that the best from all of us is going to be good enough, and the best is going to put our team in the best chance [to win].”
If Nix comes as advertised to the Broncos, playing with poise, deep accuracy, and an innate understanding of when to take his shots and when to check things down, there's little reason to believe the Ducks quarterback shouldn't earn serious playing time for Denver this season, even if he doesn't necessarily get the nod Week 1. Should that happen, no fans will quibble with Nix's selection, as he should do a fine job in leading the team back to the playoffs.
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