Leading up to the 2024 NFL Draft, everyone knew that the Denver Broncos needed a quarterback with the No. 12 overall pick. While some of the top prospects weren’t going to be available, Broncos head coach Sean Payton knew that he would get a good chance at taking Bo Nix with that selection.
After Payton traveled up to Eugene, Oregon, to connect with the quarterback prospect before the draft, he knew that he had his next franchise quarterback. Accompanied by offensive pass game coordinator and quarterbacks coach Davis Webb, the conversation was filled with nothing but positives.
Nix, who appeared on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Friday, went into further detail about that pre-draft meeting and had nothing but good things to say about Payton and Webb, the two coaches who are responsible for developing him into the quarterback he is today.
“Well, I loved our visit. When he came out to Eugene, we were able to sit down and really go through a hour long, a couple hour long meeting, talking football with him and Davis, my quarterback coach now. We just literally went through an install. And we talked a lot about football, where it originated, how he got it. And we watched some video along with it, watch some of my stuff, how it compared,” Nix said.
There was a lot of good on Nix’s tape from college, as he threw for 4,503 yards and 45 touchdowns in his final season with the Ducks under Dan Manning. He had just three interceptions that year, completed over 77% of his passes and was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy.
Payton saw a play style that he liked, one that had some similarities to Drew Brees, Payton’s Hall of Fame quarterback for years in New Orleans.
“And I always knew we had a similar background, similar style. He likes the quick game, he likes the shots. And obviously I love throwing the football. So for me, it was, you know, it was all about going to a place to be with a coach that, in my opinion, had so much knowledge and so much experience that I could learn from. And that’s exactly what I got with coach [Payton],” Nix said.
Nix also made sure to give Webb his flowers. The 30-year-old offensive mind — who’s a name to watch for certain coaching openings this upcoming offseason — has also been instrumental in his growth, it hasn’t just been the Sean Payton show.
“I think [someone who is] underrated is Davis Webb, my quarterback coach. He’s just, he’s always prepared me extremely well, especially from the get-go. He played the position, and knows what it’s like to walk into a game. He prepares me on a very good level, and we’re always ready for the task at hand,” Nix said.
While there have been moments in which Payton and Nix have looked disconnected over the previous season and a half, it’s still clear that they’re the right match for each other. Nix is coming off one of his best games of the season in a win over Kansas City, and the Broncos need him to keep that level of play heading into the playoffs if they want to win a Super Bowl.
