Bo Nix

In advance of next Thursday's NFL draft, one AFC assistant coach views Oregon quarterback Bo Nix as the "opposite" of UNC signal-caller Drake Maye, who's seen as a risky quarterback NFL draft prospect with a high ceiling. On the contrary, this coach sees Nix as a safe prospect with a "very high floor."

"He's the opposite of Drake: He's very high floor and a little bit of a lower ceiling. He's talented. I think he throws the ball really well. He's a good athlete. He's older (turned 24 in February). It's almost like he's been constructed in a lab. He's really good in the interview process -- I think that's what's raised him up. I see him perfect for a situation like Denver with Sean Payton and running that system and doing exactly what you want him to do and not much extra outside of that."

The coach made the remarks to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, who asked NFL executives, scouts and coaches to rank the top 20 quarterbacks in the 2024 NFL draft class.

Maye finished third behind USC's Caleb Williams and LSU's Jayden Daniels. Nix took sixth, with Michigan's J.J. McCarthy and Washington's Michael Penix Jr. landing in front of him.

Another NFC scout expressed concerns about Nix's ceiling while comparing him to Maye's UNC predecessor, ex-Washington Commanders starting quarterback (and now Seattle Seahawks backup) Sam Howell.

"He's 6-2, he's 220, he's a mobile enough athlete -- all that stuff. But is he gonna be good enough? I think he's going to be a little bit like Sam Howell. I don't know that he's going to be a bona fide starter in the NFL. Arm talent's not the best; he was accurate on the short stuff, but it was the factor of the offense, to me, this (past) year. He doesn't feel like a guy that has the physical ability to really carry a team. Will somebody believe he can (start)? Probably. Somebody might fall in love with him."

Meanwhile, scouts and coaches alike raved about Maye's potential but expressed concerns about a few things too. One NFC scouting director had him at No. 2 overall, while an AFC coordinator said he had "all the raw traits."

In addition, an NFC scout said that "Drake's going to a be a big project because he's just not naturally accurate." Another AFC assistant coach called him "the biggest high-ceiling, low-floor guy."

As for the B/R NFL Scouting Department, that crew loves Maye, who is listed as QB1 overall and third among all prospects. Nix is QB5 and 62nd overall.

We'll soon find out how NFL teams really feel about Maye and Nix with the draft starting on Thursday in Detroit.

There will likely be a number of quarterback prospects taken in the first three rounds of the 2024 NFL draft, but Bo Nix believes teams will be thrilled with the decision to select him.

"They're getting an ultimate competitor who is super passionate for the game of football," the Oregon signal-caller told Bleacher Report on Thursday.

"An elite processor and someone who can make all the throws and can escape and do whatever they ask me to do. I've been fortunate enough to play in a lot of different offenses in college at Auburn and Oregon, so I know I'm able to do a lot. I'm just going to continue to improve and show I can be valuable to a team."

It is impossible to argue with his individual production as the reigning Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year who threw for 4,508 yards and 45 scores in 2023, but more jumped out about his game than just the statistics.

Nix's athleticism allows him to avoid the pass-rush and make plays both inside and outside the pocket. Throw in his accuracy on underneath routes and ability to quickly and accurately get the ball to his receivers, and there is plenty to like.

Still, this is a crowded quarterback class, and it is fair to wonder whether his long-term upside might be somewhat limited since he is already 24 years old and older than some starting quarterbacks in the league.

B/R's NFL Scouting Department ranked Nix as the fifth-best signal-caller in the draft behind North Carolina's Drake Maye, USC's Caleb Williams, LSU's Jayden Daniels and Michigan's J.J. McCarthy in its latest big board.

That means he is likely competing with Washington's Michael Penix Jr. to be the fifth quarterback taken with Williams, Maye, Daniels and McCarthy all expected to go near the top of the first round.

So what part of his game will help him stand out and directly translate the best to the next level?

"Processing," Nix said. "The ability to dissect information at a fast rate. We all can go out there and make throws and look good in shorts and a t-shirt, but when it comes down to it, you have to be able to process and make the play after you've thought about it and after you've made a reaction and decision."

That processing speed developed over a memorable collegiate career.

Nix first arrived at Auburn as a highly regarded 5-star recruit and the top-rated dual-threat quarterback prospect in the class of 2019, per 247Sports' composite rankings. Yet his time with the Tigers was largely defined by inconsistency that included a win over archrival Alabama as a freshman but the team finishing with just six wins in each of the next two seasons.

He then transferred to Oregon and turned in the best individual season of his career in 2022 until he surpassed it in 2023.

Nix completed a stunning 77.4 percent of his passes for 4,508 yards, 45 touchdowns and just three interceptions while adding 234 yards and six touchdowns on the ground in his final campaign. Oregon defeated every team but Washington, falling just short in two separate three-point losses.

Still, he bounced back from the defeat to the Huskies in the Pac-12 Championship Game by throwing for five touchdowns in a blowout win over Liberty in the Fiesta Bowl.

And he hopes he left a legacy with the Ducks.

"The competitive and passionate player I was," Nix said when asked what he will remember most down the line when reflecting on his time at Oregon. "I think I'll always be able to remember that. I was able to play in a lot of really cool games and historic games for Oregon. So, hopefully, I did enough where they're able to talk about our team for many years to come."

Playing so well to end his college career led to opportunities off the field, including a recent partnership with USAA.

Nix and fellow draft prospect Notre Dame offensive lineman Joe Alt joined the NFL's official salute to service partner and visited military members at the Selfridge Air National Guard Base outside of Detroit.

"I wouldn't be able to do what I'm able to on a daily basis without the military and all their service," Nix, whose grandfather served in the Air Force, said. "They allow freedoms that we have in our country and they're what makes our country so great. It puts things in perspective when I'm able to give back and hang out with those who serve our country."

Part of the experience included flying in a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter over Detroit, which is the site of the 2024 NFL draft.

"The experience in the Blackhawk without the doors was pretty incredible," he said. "Probably won't have an experience like that again."

NFL prospects @BoNix10 & @JoeAlt7 toured Selfridge Air National Guard Base with @USAA and the @127wing. The players even flew in a UH-60 Black Hawk over the site of this year’s #NFLDraft in Detroit!

Thank you to all our military at home & abroad #SaluteToService 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/grfOUc6CDy

— NFL (@NFL) April 18, 2024

Now that he has flown over the site of the draft in a helicopter, the next question is where he will be taken during the actual event.

B/R's NFL Scouting Department projected him as an early second-round pick at No. 34 overall to the Las Vegas Raiders in its most recent mock draft. That would be something of an ideal landing spot considering the Raiders aren't exactly loaded with future Hall of Famers at quarterback with Aidan O'Connell and Gardner Minshew II.

Even though Nix likely wouldn't become the immediate starter in such a situation, he could learn and gather valuable insight from a veteran in Minshew who has been both a starter and a backup at different times throughout his career.

But he primarily just wants to show improvement wherever he ends up.

"I think if I do my best and grow and develop and make strides," he said when discussing what he would consider a successful rookie season. "If I'm better coming out of my first year than I was when I went into it, then I consider it a success. There's so much you can use for success, but at the end of the day it's just about being the best version of yourself that you can be."

Now it's up to NFL teams looking for a quarterback to draft that version of Nix.

The New York Giants have been rumored to be eyeing Michigan's J.J. McCarthy with the No. 6 pick in this month's NFL draft, but they are reportedly still evaluating other quarterback prospects.

According to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo, Oregon quarterback Bo Nix and South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler are set to visit with the Giants this week.

SNY's Connor Hughes reported last month that some league sources believe McCarthy is "the player the Giants want." In his first mock draft released earlier this week, NFL Network's Peter Schrager predicted that the Giants will move up from No. 6 to the No. 4 pick to select McCarthy. The projected trade cost the Giants a 2024 third-round pick and a 2025 second-round pick.

"This is merely a mock draft, but I could see this deal coming to fruition," Schrager explained. "[General manager] Joe Schoen didn't draft Daniel Jones, J.J. checks a lot of boxes, and Big Blue can get out of Jones' contract after this upcoming season."

New York is coming off a disappointing 2023 campaign in which it went 6-11 and missed the playoffs for the sixth time in the last seven years. Jones was limited to six games after suffering a torn ACL, so the team could look to bring in a young signal-caller as its quarterback of the future.

If the Giants are unable to land McCarthy, both Nix and Rattler likely would be available later in the draft. B/R's NFL Scouting Department ranks Nix and Rattler as the No. 5 and No. 6 quarterback prospects, respectively, in the latest draft big board right behind McCarthy, who sits at No. 4 behind UNC's Drake Maye, USC's Caleb Williams and LSU's Jayden Daniels.

The NFL draft is just over a week away on April 25, so the Giants have time to mull their decision on which quarterback they will select.

The long lead-up to the NFL draft means prospects face plenty of nitpicking before their names are eventually called, and Oregon quarterback Bo Nix is no exception.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler noted Tuesday that "multiple coaches who interviewed Nix said his interviews felt scripted and rehearsed but he shines when he lets loose and shows personality."

One NFC executive said, "Coaches love him. Knows football, coach's son, can talk it and walk it. He can talk it up on the board, but when the lights come on and the picture changes, it's a little bit of a concern. If he thinks it's Cover 2, safety rotation on snap, one-high [and instead] becomes Cover 3, how quickly can he adjust and process?"

Despite those concerns, Nix thrived during the 2023 campaign as the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year.

He completed 77.4 percent of his passes for 4,508 yards, 45 touchdowns and three interceptions while adding 234 yards and six scores on the ground as a runner.

The stats jump off the page, but he is also 24 years old.

"Probably doesn't have [same] ceiling as some of the other, younger quarterbacks with upside," an NFC scout said, per Fowler. "But he'll be a solid player. Fit and system will matter. For him to be successful in the NFL he'll have to play as a ball distributor, making plays based on timing and rhythm patterns. He can extend plays and play with toughness but sometimes relies too heavily on his legs."

B/R's NFL Scouting Department projected Nix as the No. 34 overall pick in its latest mock draft, which made him the fifth quarterback off the board.

He went to the Las Vegas Raiders in that mock draft, which could be an ideal landing spot given the presence of Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers on the outside. Nix's completion percentage at Oregon was notable, and he consistently got the ball into playmakers' hands.

Doing that with Adams and Meyers could set the Raiders up for success even if there are some overall concerns about Nix's ceiling.

The first four picks of the 2024 NFL draft could be quarterbacks.

That is exactly what NFL Media's Peter Schrager projected in his mock draft published Tuesday. While the first three picks go relatively according to expected script with the Chicago Bears selecting Caleb Williams at No. 1, the Washington Commanders taking Jayden Daniels at No. 2 and the New England Patriots taking Drake Maye at No. 3, the first major development happens at No. 4.

Schrager projected the Arizona Cardinals to trade that pick to the New York Giants, who then use it on Michigan's J.J. McCarthy.

"This is merely a mock draft, but I could see this deal coming to fruition," Schrager wrote. "Joe Schoen didn't draft Daniel Jones, J.J. checks a lot of boxes, and Big Blue can get out of Jones' contract after this upcoming season."

Jones has dealt with inconsistency and injuries throughout his career, and this could give the Giants the opportunity to move into a new direction and start focusing on the future in an NFC East that looks particularly difficult heading into the 2024 campaign.

As for the Cardinals, they ended up with the No. 6 pick in the draft as part of the trade and used it to take Washington wide receiver Rome Odunze after the Los Angeles Chargers selected Ohio State's Marvin Harrison Jr. with the No. 5 pick.

That's not the end of the quarterback position in the first round, though, as Schrager projected the Minnesota Vikings to take Oregon's Bo Nix at No. 23.

Minnesota could use another option at the position after Kirk Cousins signed with the Atlanta Falcons this offseason, and Nix is someone who can spread the ball around to weapons in Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson.

While he doesn't have the same ceiling as Williams or the other top names, the 2023 Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year completed a stunning 77.4 percent of his passes last season for the Ducks. He also had 45 touchdown throws to just three interceptions.

That ability to avoid key mistakes and take advantage of open looks underneath at an incredibly efficient rate works perfectly in an offense that thrives on getting the ball into the playmakers' hands and letting them go to work.

It could also lead to a relatively seamless transition from the Cousins era.

The New York Giants traded up to get a quarterback in the newest mock draft from ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. and Field Yates; it just may not be the QB you're expecting.

USC's Caleb Williams, LSU's Jayden Daniels and North Carolina's Drake Maye led off the mock. Kiper then projected the Minnesota Vikings to send three first-rounders to the Los Angeles Chargers in order to move up from the 11th pick, leapfrog the Giants, and select Michigan's J.J. McCarthy.

New York, which has been linked to McCarthy, did eventually get a quarterback, acquiring the No. 38 pick from the Tennessee Titans to take Oregon's Bo Nix.

Kiper and Yates projected a third QB-centric swap as the Los Angeles Rams moved up and opened the second round with Washington's Michael Penix Jr.

This year's draft is likely to place the scarcity of starting-caliber quarterbacks in stark relief.

McCarthy is the No. 33 overall player on Bleacher Report's 2024 big board yet looks increasingly like he'll be a top-10 pick. Nix (No. 62) and Penix (No. 89) could also be picked well ahead of where they generally sit in the class.

But there are multiple factors working against general managers to necessitate taking such an aggressive approach. An early run on quarterbacks would thin out the depth at the top end. In addition, there's a clear gulf between Daniels/Maye and McCarthy, from McCarthy to Nix/Penix and then from Nix/Penix to the next best signal-callers.

After Penix — South Carolina's Spencer Rattler (No. 66) is the sixth QB on B/R's big board — you have to wait all the way until No. 168 when you finally hit Tulane's Michael Pratt.

Trading up and taking a quarterback a little earlier than you might have wanted will be the cost to guarantee you don't miss out entirely on the position.