When the Denver Broncos selected Bo Nix with the 12th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, plenty of people questioned the decision. But Sean Payton had a clear idea in his mind.

Three years later, the head coach explained why the Broncos never doubted Nix was their quarterback during an appearance on Trey Wingo's podcast.

"The first thing I think we wanted to do was reduce or take away all the quick throws. He was the most accurate passer in college football history,” Payton said. 

As Payton highlighted, Nix did finish his final two seasons at Oregon with conference-high completion rates (71.9% and 77.4%, respectively). In his final year (2023), he even led the conference with 364 completions.

Rather than relying on completion percentage alone, Denver evaluated quarterbacks in pressure situations such as third downs, fourth quarters, and the red zone. Nix separated himself with his passing across all these.

"Looking at a lot of these numbers, he's popping out ahead of the group, and when you get to campus, and you see the arm, man, the arm strength is a plus," Payton said on the Trey Wingo podcast on June 8th.

He explained that Oregon's offense sometimes created the perception that Nix lived on short passes. But Denver's scouts came away believing his downfield velocity and arm talent were among the best in the class.

Sean Payton says Bo Nix's experience had everybody on board

On the same Trey Wingo podcast, Payton said Nix's resume went well beyond physical ability.

The quarterback made an NCAA-record 61 career starts between Auburn and Oregon, while growing up as the son of longtime coach Patrick Nix.

That combination of experience and football background convinced Denver they were drafting a player who could adjust quickly to the NFL.

By the end of the evaluation, Payton said everyone inside the building reached the same conclusion.

"It came back, Bo Nix, Bo Nix, Bo Nix," Payton further noted in the podcast.

That unanimous agreement from assistants Joe Lombardi (offensive coordinator) and Pete Carmichael (senior offensive assistant) reinforced the Broncos' confidence before draft night.

Payton also revealed that he told owner Greg Penner to ignore the immediate draft reaction and suggested that Denver focus on how the decision would look years later.

Now, three years later, Payton believes the Broncos made the right call by trusting their own evaluation instead of public opinion.

Read more at the Denver Broncos Community!

Written by

Evince Das

Edited by

Aadesh Dhote