National Football League

Broncos believe Bo Nix's age makes him 'more game-ready' than other QB prospects

Updated Apr. 29, 2024 12:29 p.m. ET

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The Denver Broncos' decision to take Bo Nix with the 12th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft surprised some, with many expressing concern about the quarterback's relative old age as a prospect.

However, general manager George Paton insists that Nix's age (24) and experience give him an edge over other top quarterback prospects.

"You look at it, it's hard because this is new, but 24 years old is not that old for football," Paton told 9NEWS Denver. "You evaluate it, but you're really evaluating the player, you're evaluating the person. Evaluate how they fit in with the organization, especially for a quarterback.

"To me, the age, they're going to be more, especially with a guy like Bo Nix, 61 starts, we feel like he'll be more game-ready than if we were going to draft a 21-year-old."

As Paton alluded to, Nix's 61 starts were the most ever for an FBS quarterback, starting three years at Auburn before transferring to Oregon in 2022.

That sort of experience might be needed for a Broncos squad that went 8-9 last season in Sean Payton's first year as head coach. With Denver looking to make the postseason in Year 2 of Payton's tenure, the only other quarterbacks the Broncos had on their roster entering the draft were Jarrett Stidham, Ben Dinucci and newly acquired Zach Wilson, after they released Russell Wilson at the onset of the offseason. 

Payton wasn't shy in stating his interest in drafting a quarterback with his first-round pick in the lead-up to the draft, even suggesting to reporters at one point that they could trade up to select one. They hosted Michael Penix Jr. on a visit in April and held a private workout with J.J. McCarthy after his Pro Day in March.

But Nix's private workout in front of Payton and other staffers at Oregon on March 19 sealed the deal on whom the Broncos wanted the most, according to Paton.

"I'd watched all the quarterbacks, seen them live (during the regular season on scouting trips)," Paton said. "And then the season's over, I get with Sean and we watched the quarterbacks (on tape). And Sean liked a lot of these quarterbacks.

"And when we got to Bo it was pretty instant. Sean was like, ‘man.' You know, Sean.

"He really liked him, and then we went to the private workout and spent three hours with Bo in the meeting setting, and he was outstanding. And we go out to the field, and he made 10, 15 throws and Sean came up to me and said, ‘This is the guy.'

"And I said, ‘Hey, we've got a whole process to go through. But he was really the target from then on."

Will Sean Payton, Denver Broncos REGRET drafting Bo Nix?

Nix was widely viewed as the sixth-best quarterback in the 2024 draft class, with FOX Sports NFL Draft expert Rob Rang and lead college football analyst Joel Klatt ranking him in that spot. But Klatt also had the Broncos selecting Nix with the 12th pick in all of his mock drafts, believing he's the right fit for Payton's offense due to his accuracy and ability to get the ball out quickly.

Nix had also ascended at Oregon over the last couple of seasons. He was statistically one of the best quarterbacks in the nation in 2023, throwing for 4,508 yards, 45 touchdowns and three interceptions, plus six rushing scores, helping the Ducks go 11-2.

To help Nix transition into the NFL, the Broncos added his top pass-catcher from last season, Troy Franklin. The Broncos traded up to the No. 101 overall pick to snag the wide receiver, who had 81 receptions for 1,383 yards and 14 touchdowns last season. 

Now, Nix and Franklin hope to help turn around the Broncos, just as they helped Oregon over the last two seasons.

Exiting the draft, at FanDuel Sportsbook, Nix is at +2800 to win Offensive Rookie of the Year. The Over/Under for his regular-season passing yards is set at 2850.5. 

The Broncos are at -950 to miss the playoffs and +590 to make it. Their Over/Under win total is set at 5.5, and they have the longest odds to win the AFC West at +2000.

Follow along with FOX Sports for the latest news on the NFL and other sports.

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