J.J. McCarthy to Giants, Bo Nix to Broncos in ESPN NFL Draft Experts' 2024 Mini-Mock

A panel of ESPN experts offered new insight into the quarterback discourse heading into the 2024 NFL draft.

Analysts Matt Miller, Jordan Reid and Field Yates worked through the first 12 picks and didn't provide any early surprises. USC's Caleb Williams, LSU's Jayden Daniels and North Carolina's Drake Maye were the first three players off the board.

Miller projected the next QB, J.J. McCarthy of Michigan, to land at No. 6 to the New York Giants. After the dreadful 2023 season Daniel Jones had—in addition to his torn ACL— nobody will be shocked if New York wants to make a change over one offseason after handing Jones a four-year, $160 million contract.

Miller did venture off the beaten path, however, when he took Bo Nix at No. 12 while playing the role of the Denver Broncos general manager.

"Is this too early for Nix? Based on rankings, yes," he said of the choice. "But the Broncos are desperate for a signal-caller, and Nix's accuracy and timing are a fit for Sean Payton's offense."

There's no question Nix had a prolific two-year run at Oregon, throwing for 8,101 yards and 74 touchdowns in 27 games.

Taking him with a top-15 pick would be a significant reach, though. He's the 81st-ranked player on Bleacher Report's 2024 big board, and B/R NFL scout Derrik Klassen compared him to career backup/spot starter Gardner Minshew.

"Nix will ultimately be a dice roll on athleticism and accuracy," Klassen wrote in his scouting report. "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."

The general premium on quarterbacks means the Broncos could feel an overwhelming level of pressure to take the chance on Nix. They don't have a second-round pick so by the first time they're on the clock on Day 2 (No. 76), the QB landscape could be pretty barren.

Even with that in mind, one could question whether Nix would be a good value play for Denver when it could focus on a different position and get a player who's much more likely to hit.