Revisiting Bo Nix’s draft profile: The Denver Broncos got who they needed

Bo Nix was taken by the Denver Broncos with the 12th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Let’s revisit one of his draft profiles from Lance Zierlein of NFL.com. It’s worth looking back at this as we have seen Nix throw passes in a Broncos uniform, and it’s been about a month since he arrived in Denver.

I would assume that at some point before the preseason begins, the Denver Broncos will officially name him the starting QB of the team. Well, what did one of his popular draft profiles have to say about his skillset?

Let’s look at Bo Nix’s draft profile from Lance Zierlein of NFL.com:

“Rare five-year starting quarterback whose play has matured in front of our eyes. Nix displays the accuracy, arm talent and athleticism consistent with today’s brand of pro quarterback. He can be punctual in getting the ball out at the top of his drop or he can work through progressions and beat defenses with second-reaction plays. He throws with good velocity and puts the ball on the money when throwing on the move. Nix has shown great improvement with his pocket poise. He’s capable of moving the sticks as a scrambler or as part of the running game. Some of his gaudy production has been driven by the Oregon offense’s design, but his talent clearly stands out. I’ve harbored bias from watching the overwhelmed version of Nix during his Auburn days, but as the saying goes, “tape don’t lie.” Nix appears more than ready to attack the league with an NFL-caliber skill set.”

– Lance ZIerlein

What stood out to you here? “…work through progressions…”

“…great improvement with his pocket poise…”

“…can be punctual in getting the ball out at the top of his drop…”

Folks, isn’t this precisely what Sean Payton wants in his future franchise quarterback? Here’s more positives on Nix from Zierlein:

“-Good pre-snap recognition for expedited post-snap itinerary.
-Big hands to manipulate defenses with aggressive pump fakes.
-Shows ability to work through options and find what he likes.
-Generates quality velocity from a sudden, compact release.
-Ball comes out of his hand with good pace and without much effort.
-Impressive run-and-rip talent throwing accurately on the move.
-Play-extender with arm talent to win with secondary action as passer.
-Internal clock and athleticism help him avoid sacks.
-Toughness and talent to move the sticks on called runs.”

– Lance Zierlein

Other things that stand out to me are his comments on Nix’s pre-snap recognition, being able to “work through options,” the internal clock, and having a plenty-strong arm. To me, there isn’t much to dislike about Nix, and questions about his arm talent and mobility seem hollow. Nix doesn’t have the frozen-rope arm like Josh Allen or Patrick Mahomes, but he’s got good velocity and a quick release.

He’s also got what we could call functional mobility. Bo Nix isn’t going to move around like Lamar Jackson, but it’s clear that in reading his draft profile, you can glean that Nix has the mobility to escape the pocket and to even operate some designed-run plays, which is great. Revisiting this draft profile on Bo Nix should make all of us encouraged that he can be the franchise passer for the Denver Broncos.

Much of what he excels at is exactly what the Denver Broncos need from their franchise passer, and there’s really no need to overthink this.