Bo Nix Praised by Broncos HC Sean Payton for 'Throwing the Ball Extremely Well'

Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton provided a positive update on rookie quarterback Bo Nix amid OTAs on Friday.

Payton suggested he has liked what he has seen out of the former Oregon signal-caller thus far, telling reporters:

"It's hard for me to catch you up like on a Netflix series. You guys watched one [episode], and then you missed three, and then you watched one and I'm trying to catch you up. All three of [the quarterbacks] are doing well. Specifically to Bo, he's doing really well. He's picking it up. There's a lot that's going in. He's throwing the ball extremely well."

Denver made the somewhat controversial decision to select Nix with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, making him the sixth quarterback off the board.

After playing three collegiate seasons at Auburn, Nix transferred to Oregon and truly found his footing in head coach Dan Lanning's high-octane offense.

In his fifth and final college season, Nix completed 77.4 percent of his passes for 4,508 yards, 45 touchdowns and three interceptions, resulting in him winning the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year Award and finishing third in Heisman Trophy voting.

While Nix's numbers were off the charts, many questioned how well they would translate to the next level, especially since Nix was one of the oldest quarterbacks in the draft at 24.

However, with age comes experience, as Nix's 61 career starts were the most by a quarterback in college football history.

Taking Nix was a risk the Broncos were willing to take in the wake of releasing veteran quarterback Russell Wilson this offseason and in the midst of an eight-year playoff drought.

Nix is part of a three-person competition for Denver's starting quarterback job with 2023 backup Jarrett Stidham and offseason trade acquisition Zach Wilson, who failed to live up to his status as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft by the New York Jets.

Given that the Broncos don't figure to be Super Bowl or possibly even playoff contenders in 2024 in all likelihood, Nix earning the starting job and showing what he can do as a rookie may be the best possible outcome for the organization.