Bo Nix was always a pretty good quarterback in college with the Auburn Tigers, but he turned into a superstar when he transferred to the Oregon Ducks. In his final year in Eugene, he threw an unbelievable 45 touchdowns to just three interceptions, which cemented his place as a first-round draft pick.
Although Nix was highly successful with the Ducks, his age and lack of elite traits were a deterrent for several teams and most NFL fans. However, the Denver Broncos selected him with the No. 12 pick, and he won over the respect of a lot of people in his rookie season.
Despite a frustrating beginning to his career, which saw him throw four interceptions over his first two games, Nix settled in and threw 29 touchdowns to eight interceptions in the final 14 games. His stellar play earned the Broncos their first playoff berth since they won the Super Bowl nearly a decade ago.
The former Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year and Heisman finalist now has sky-high expectations for his sophomore season and is viewed in a much brighter light than before. Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports ranked every starting NFL quarterback by tiers ahead of the 2025 season, and Nix was placed under the ‘Promising Prospects’ tier.
“The seasoned Oregon product quietly approached 30 passing scores in Year 1 under Sean Payton, while excelling as a play-extender with his legs,” Benjamin wrote. “The question is, can he make a leap with the Denver Broncos’ pass weapons, and/or better manage the ball as Payton leans deeper into the ground game and defense?”
It’s a little too early to consider the second-year man a star, but Benjamin believes he is well on his way. Denver has added more playmakers for Nix to use this season, so all signs point to him building on his rookie year with the Broncos and establishing himself as one of the top passers in a loaded AFC West.
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