Former Oregon Duck "balling out" in training camp on way to being Week 1 starter

When former Oregon Ducks quarterback Bo Nix was drafted by the Denver Broncos with the 12th pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, expectations were immediately put on him to be the Week 1 starter and to put an end to Denver's quarterback purgatory.

So far through training camp, although reviews have been slightly mixed, it looks like Nix is on track to live up to at least the first part of those expectations.

Bo Nix is making his mark in Denver Broncos training camp

The updates out of training camp are that Nix is taking command of the reps, and of the playbook. There's still room to grow, but it sounds like overall Denver is pleased with how it's going.

"Look, I thought overall, I'm sure there's going to be some plays. We look at that where it was mostly third down. A lot of the work was third down, but I mean we'll see the tape and evaluate it," Broncos head coach Sean Payton said after Wednesday's practice. "But I thought overall, pretty well. I mean, you know that there are clips, plays where you're going to look at and correct. He ran with the 1s, and I like his progress."

Nix is impressing coaches with his growth mindset

For a rookie quarterback, it's crucial to have the ability to be focused on growth. As cliche as it sounds, it's imperative to be able to make progress, shake off mistakes, and continue on an upward trajectory. By all accounts, Nix is doing just that.

Denver will be taking the long approach with Nix. Last year at Oregon , Nix had a standout season, finishing second in passing yards with 4,508, leading the country in passing touchdowns with 45, and throwing only three interceptions.

Sure, part of it is the scheme. Oregon got the ball out of Nix's hand quickly, allowing him to play point guard to get the ball to his playmakers and let them go to work. 749 of Nix's passing yards came on screen passes, which was the most in the country according to PFF. Nix also had a staggeringly low average depth of target at only 6.9.

There's something to be said for the point guard mentality, though, especially in a Payton-led offense. Drew Brees feasted in that system on a similar mentality – get the ball out, be accurate, don't turn the ball over. Nix is a great scheme fit, and appears to be doing plenty to lock up the Week 1 starter role.

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