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NFL Draft 2024 Rumors: 'Consensus' Is Oregon QB Bo Nix Is 'a Fringe Round 1 Player'
Jan 29, 2024
GLENDALE, AZ - JANUARY 01: Oregon Ducks quarterback Bo Nix (10) makes a pass agaisnt the Liberty Flames during the second half of Vrbo Fiesta Bowl college football game between the Oregon Ducks and the Liberty Flames on January 1, 2024, at State Farm Stadium in Phoenix, AZ. (Photo by Zac BonDurant/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Oregon quarterback Bo Nix is reportedly receiving a "fringe" first-round grade from NFL scouts ahead of the Senior Bowl.
Matt Miller of ESPN reported Nix is facing concerns about "his accuracy outside of the Oregon scheme" coming out of college, and that's caused some teams to have trepidation.
Nix is among a group of quarterbacks vying for that QB4 spot in April's draft. USC's Caleb Williams, North Carolina's Drake Maye and LSU's Jayden Daniels, who are all considered likely top-10 selections.
Nix is a polarizing prospect in several respects, starting with his age. A five-year starter at Auburn and Oregon, Nix turns 24 in February. He's only three months younger than Brock Purdy and four months older than Trevor Lawrence.
While it's hard to call someone "old" at age 24, he spent his last two seasons at Oregon dominating players who were at times four and five years his junior. Given the significant struggles Nix had playing against SEC competition at Auburn, it's fair to wonder whether his ascent was a byproduct of Oregon's system and his experience advantage.
It's hard to not look at a quarterback who completed under 60 percent of his balls at Auburn and then nearly three-quarters of his passes at Oregon and wonder how much credit his offensive scheme deserves.
B/R's big board ranks Nix as a fringe second-round prospect at No. 62 overall, so it's safe to say opinions will vary in the coming months.
Nix will have to outperform Michigan's J.J. McCarthy, Washington's Michael Penix Jr. and Washington State's Cameron Ward to lock himself in as the QB4 in this year's class.
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Daniel Jeremiah 2024 NFL Mock Draft: Bo Nix to Saints, J.J. McCarthy Out of 1st Round
Jan 19, 2024
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - JANUARY 01: Quarterback Bo Nix #10 of the Oregon Ducks walks off the field during the first half of the Fiesta Bowl against the Liberty Flames at State Farm Stadium on January 01, 2024 in Glendale, Arizona. The Ducks defeated the Flames 45-6. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah released his first mock draft on Friday, with the draft expert determining the landing spots of several top quarterbacks in the 2024 class.
Bo Nix is projected to land in New Orleans, as the Saints may replace Derek Carr with the Heisman Trophy candidate with the No. 14 selection. J.J. McCarthy remained on the board after the first round, however.
Nix was the fourth quarterback selected in the mock. Former USC signal-caller Caleb Williams went to the Chicago Bears with the No. 1 overall pick, while quarterbacks Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels were selected by the Washington Commanders and the New England Patriots with the next two picks.
Here's a brief summary of Jeremiah's reasoning for his pick.
"I'm a big fan of Nix's game. I think his experience as a five-year starter is a positive for him as he heads to the next level. He would be a plug-and-play starter in New Orleans. I'm not confident the Saints view Derek Carr as the answer."
Nix delivered an incredible final season with the Ducks, completing 77.4 percent of his passes for 4,508 yards while tossing 45 touchdowns to go along with just three interceptions.
He led Oregon to a record of 12-2 as well as a resounding 45-6 victory over Liberty in the Fiesta Bowl. Nix finished the game with 363 yards and five touchdown passes without committing a turnover.
B/R NFL Scout Derek Klassen expressed concerns over his footwork as well as his pocket presence, although he highlighted his impressive arm talent.
As a thrower, Nix has the goods physically. He has a loose arm and can bomb it down the field with relative ease. Additionally, Nix's velocity is well above the NFL threshold. He can drive the ball outside the numbers and into tight windows over the middle reliably. That even applies to Nix's ability to throw on the run, where he really shines.
McCarthy was Michigan's signal-caller throughout the Wolverines' undefeated season, culminating in a victory in the College Football Playoff National Championship game over Washington.
He threw for a modest 2,991 yards in 15 games, recording 22 touchdowns against four interceptions. McCarthy owns the No. 7 quarterback ranking as well as the No. 99 overall spot on B/R's latest big board.
NFL Scout Derrik Klassen wasn't impressed with his decision-making as well as his accuracy, although he envisioned a potential scenario in which McCarthy could thrive at the next level
McCarthy fits best in a Shanahan-style system that simplifies things pre-snap and leans into throws over the middle of the field with the help of play action. He has the requisite arm talent and pocket toughness to function in that system. Even still, McCarthy will take time to develop his ability to progress from the pocket and, hopefully, add weight and strength.
According to Jeremiah, he's currently a Day 2 talent.
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Oregon's Bo Nix Accepts Senior Bowl Invite Ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
Jan 3, 2024
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - JANUARY 01: Quarterback Bo Nix #10 of the Oregon Ducks throws a pass during the first half of the Fiesta Bowl against the Liberty Flames at State Farm Stadium on January 01, 2024 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Oregon quarterback Bo Nix, a potential first-round pick, has accepted an invite to the 2024 Senior Bowl.
Nix is one of the highest-profile prospects to commit to the Senior Bowl, which is set to offer increased face time for players with NFL teams.
One of the oldest quarterbacks in the 2024 draft class, Nix will turn 24 in February. He is just four months younger than Trevor Lawrence and more than two full years older than 2023 first-round pick Anthony Richardson.
There will be natural concerns about Nix's age and the fact he excelled once he was older than most of his competition. Nix began his career at Auburn and struggled to find consistent production before transferring to Oregon ahead of the 2022 season. He emerged as one of the country's most dynamic playmakers over the last two seasons, throwing for 8,101 yards and 74 touchdowns against 10 interceptions while adding 744 yards and 21 scores as a rusher.
"I feel like I've played a lot of football," Nix recently told reporters. "Every time I went out there, it slowed down more and more. By the end, I had just a really comfortable feel. I think this year, with what we were doing offensively, schematically, we were very efficient."
Nix will head to the Senior Bowl with the goal of showing his age is not a detriment but instead will make him one of the most NFL-ready passers in this class. ESPN currently ranks Nix as the No. 6 quarterback and No. 47 overall player in the 2024 class. He's one of six quarterbacks who could be drafted in the first round but is in the tier behind Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels, who are all first-round locks.
J.J. McCarthy, Michael Penix Jr. and Nix make up a second tier who are on the fringe of first-round status and will need to take advantage of every opportunity to prove themselves in the coming months.
Bo Nix's Dominance Has CFB Fans Hyping 2024 NFL Draft Stock as Oregon Routs Liberty
Jan 1, 2024
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - JANUARY 01: Quarterback Bo Nix #10 of the Oregon Ducks warms up before the Fiesta Bowl against the Liberty Flames at State Farm Stadium on January 01, 2024 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Oregon quarterback Bo Nix completed his collegiate career by completing 28-of-35 passes for 363 yards and five touchdowns in a 45-6 rout over Liberty in the Fiesta Bowl on New Year's Day.
Nix led Oregon to 28 unanswered second-quarter points en route to a 31-6 halftime edge. He threw four touchdown passes in the second quarter alone and added another one to Tez Johnson, who finished with 11 catches for 172 yards, in the third.
Nix will now throw his name into the NFL draft, which has three clear top quarterback prospects in USC's Caleb Williams, UNC's Drake Maye and LSU's Jayden Daniels.
However, there's an opening for QB4, and Nix has certainly made a case for consideration there. During his fantastic Fiesta Bowl performance, fans raved about Nix's chances for NFL success.
Bo Nix been getting better and better his last 15 years in college and this year was his best
I think he’ll be a long term starter in the league at some point. Got hella experience heading into the NFL
QB Bo Nix of Oregon can put something on his resume for NFL teams to consider that most big name athletes opting out or hitting the portal can’t… CHARACTER and LOYALTY. 4 TD passes in the first half of a game he has little to gain and much to lose playing LU #MoneyIsntEverythingpic.twitter.com/JoXtZxs0dP
NFL teams that pass on Bo Nix will regret it. He's a born QB and he's mature. He's not going to be raw, he's already polished. pic.twitter.com/fz8BTq6jNc
Bo Nix is legit. A true leader and competitor. I’d draft him in the NFL as my #1 QB on the board. His journey has ups and downs and decisions to better himself and his teammates. That goes miles in teammates trusting in you and wanting to play for you at the next level.
We'll soon find out where Nix heads when the NFL draft begins on Thursday, April 25 in Detroit.
Bo Nix NFL Draft 2024: Scouting Report for Oregon QB
Dec 27, 2023
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - DECEMBER 1: Bo Nix #10 of the Oregon Ducks throws against the Washington Huskies during the Pac-12 Championship at Allegiant Stadium on December 1, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ric Tapia/Getty Images)
HEIGHT: 6'2"
WEIGHT: 214
HAND: 10⅛"
ARM: 30⅞"
WINGSPAN: 74½"
40-YARD DASH:
3-CONE:
SHUTTLE:
VERTICAL:
BROAD:
POSITIVES
— Very good athlete. Explosive short-area movement; shows good speed in the open field.
— Good creation ability outside the pocket. Willing to break structure; plays with eyes downfield.
— Functional accuracy. Shows the ability to layer throws.
— Consistent, reliable quick game operator. Ball comes out quickly and accurately.
NEGATIVES
— Oregon did not ask a lot of him as a processor down the field. Ton of screens, RPOs and simple vertical concepts.
— Inconsistent dropback footwork. Too often disrupts his timing when working full-bodied dropback passing concepts.
— Below-average ability to find answers within structure when first read is taken away.
— Inconsistent toughness in the pocket. Shows good flashes, but too often falls away from throws.
— Five-year starter (three years at Auburn, two years at Oregon)
— 2023 first-team All-Pac-12, 2023 Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year, 2023 Heisman finalist
OVERALL
Bo Nix is still an incomplete player for someone who has played so much football, but his tools are undeniable.
Nix's greatest asset is arguably his athleticism. He is flexible, quick on his feet and dangerously explosive. He consistently escapes pressure and finds a number of different ways to do so. Nix also brings good speed in the open field, which serves him well as a scrambler and as a designed runner.
As a thrower, Nix is a mixed bag. He has a loose arm and can air it out deep down the field well enough. That looseness even applies to Nix's ability to throw on the run, where he really shines. However, Nix's velocity wavers outside the numbers. He can drive it over the middle, but maintaining good speed and arc to the outside is a struggle at times.
It's also hard to get a sense for where Nix is at in terms of being an NFL processor. Oregon's offense lightened the load on him mentally by spamming screens, run-pass options and simple vertical concepts. Even a lot of Oregon's more traditional passing concepts were made easier to read out and trigger on by their use of spacing and abusing the college hashes, which won't exist for him in the NFL.
Nix could also stand to improve his footwork and pocket demeanor. There are moments of good, stable movement in the pocket, but he too often shies away from throws and hinders his ability to throw accurately.
Nix will ultimately be a dice roll on athleticism and accuracy. With that said, it's a little worrisome that Nix is still unrefined in some areas as an older prospect with a ton of games under his belt. Nix would fit best in a spread-oriented offense that emphasizes RPOs, the quarterback run game and vertical passing.
