Broncos' Sean Payton Reveals Bo Nix Highlight He's 'Never Seen Before' on Video

As Bo Nix continues to impress this preseason after being selected with the No. 12 pick in the 2024 NFL draft, Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton raved about his rookie quarterback's ability to make plays under pressure.

In an interview with The Athletic's Dianna Russini and Chase Daniel on the Scoop City podcast (starts at 25:25 mark), Payton spoke about a highlight play from Nix at Oregon he's "never seen on film before" that helped sell him on the 24-year-old.

"When you watch his off-schedule throws in a game, it's remarkable. It's noticeable," Payton said. "Something happened with him I've never seen on film before. It's a third-down play. The tackles are rushing up the field and the guard is blocking the three-technique, and (Nix) slips between the guard, underneath—between the guard and the three-technique. And the climbs and throws it to a tight end, and I replayed it. I said, 'I've never seen this before."

Nix was coming off two stellar seasons at Oregon, but scouting reports were concerned about how his game would translate to the NFL after playing in an scheme that didn't require him to do a lot of processing and go through progressions.

The Broncos' decision to use their first-round pick on Nix wasn't met with universal praise. It wasn't a surprise they drafted a quarterback because they didn't have an obvious starter after releasing Russell Wilson in March.

While it's only the preseason, Nix is making Payton and the Broncos look smart right now. He has led the offense to scores on six of his seven drives through two games (three touchdowns, three field goals).

Payton declined to name Nix the starter for the regular season after Sunday's 27-2 win over the Green Bay Packers.

Nix's 30 attempts this preseason are 12 more than Jarrett Stidham and 11 more than Zach Wilson. His 23 completions are as many as Stidham and Wilson combined.

When you combine Nix's preseason performance with how impressed Payton clearly is by the way he plays the game, it would be a surprise if he's not under center when the Broncos take on the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1.