Report: Payton, Broncos Randomly Ranked QBs on NFL Draft Board to Hide Bo Nix Target

The Denver Broncos took a unique approach to hiding the team's interest in former Oregon quarterback Bo Nix ahead of the 2024 NFL draft.

According to Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer, head coach Sean Payton and the rest of Denver's front office had the quarterbacks in the 2024 class listed in "no particular order" on their draft board in order to "prevent any sort of bias in discussion and also, simply, to keep the brass' secret."

Nix was still available by the time the Broncos were on the clock and was subsequently selected by the team with the No. 12 overall pick.

Following the release of former starter Russell Wilson in the offseason, Denver has a quarterback room with multiple new faces heading into the 2024 season. The Broncos traded for signal-caller Zach Wilson in an April 23 trade with the New York Jets.

Nix's Pro Day performance was enough to sway Payton, who told general manager George Paton "I really like this guy" after he heard from college director Brian Stark and area scout David Bratten about their experiences with the quarterback (per Breer).

The 24-year-old wrapped up an impressive 2023 campaign with the Ducks, completing 77.4 percent of his throws for 4,508 yards and 45 touchdowns compared to a mere three interceptions.

The Broncos' pre-draft plan for selecting Nix was a success. Now, he'll attempt to win the starting job as a rookie and establish himself as Denver's franchise quarterback moving forward.