The Broncos have finalized their first pick of the draft by adding yet another quarterback to their roster. Are we about to see a QB battle between Zach Wilson and Bo Nix?
ENGLEWOOD, CO– With the 12th overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos boldly decided to pick Bo Nix. The 24-year-old Oregon quarterback quickly rose in the draft after a QB frenzy occurred in the opening moments of the first round. So how did we get here? Who will start for the Broncos in 2024?
With the first round of the 2024 NFL draft in the rearview mirror, we can now take the time to digest what happened throughout the first round of picks. While there were many surprises to NFL fans and executives alike, the craziest sequence of events of the night came from the quarterback position. Six quarterbacks were drafted within the first twelve picks, tying the record for the most quarterbacks drafted in the first round with the 1983 draft class. This surprised many due to the uncertainty of Michael Penix Jr. and Bo Nix being drafted in the first round at all.
Things started predictably with Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, and Drake Maye finding homes in the first three picks. But things took a turn when the Falcons decided to draft Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth-overall pick. This sent teams still looking for their future quarterback into a scrambling panic, with only two top quarterbacks left, three teams: the Vikings, Broncos, and Raiders were in the market for one of them.
After the Bears drafted Rome Odunze at ninth, the Vikings were the first team to make a move. The New York Jets agreed to a trade with the Vikings, allowing them to move up one spot and draft JJ McCarthy at pick ten. This left Bo Nix as the final top quarterback on the board with the Broncos and Raiders having back-to-back picks approaching. Uninterrupted by any further trades, the Jets made their pick and put the fate of Bo Nix into the hands of the Broncos.
Not wanting to miss out on a future QB, the Broncos quickly decided to settle on Bo Nix with their 12th-overall pick. The former Duck spent three years at Auburn before transferring to Oregon for the 2022 season. In his most recent year, Nix had a banner year throwing for 4,508 yards, 45 touchdowns, and only three interceptions. He also rushed for 234 yards and six rushing touchdowns.
The rookie had plenty of success under pressure, using his athleticism and quickness to get out of sticky situations. While his stats are undeniably outstanding, scouts noted Oregon did “not ask a lot out of him” when it came to reading the field. Additionally, they claimed that his toughness in the pocket was questionable. With that being said, many pundits predicted that Bo Nix would fall past the first round entirely. This turn of events highlights how desperate the Broncos are for some consistency at the quarterback position. Whether people think he was drafted too early or not is irrelevant: The Broncos have chosen their guy, and they have to find a way to win with him.
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But is Bo Nix their franchise guy? The Broncos QB room is perplexing, to say the least. After the season, the Broncos cut Russell Wilson, who was eventually picked up by the Steelers. Unfortunately for Denver, they are still responsible for paying Wilson over $37 million for the upcoming season. On the depth chart, former backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham is currently entering the second year of his $10 million contract. Stidham has seen little action in his career, only recording stats for 16 games in his four years in the NFL.
In addition to Stidham, practice squad quarterback Ben DiNucci recently signed a futures contract with the Broncos that will bring him into next year’s season to develop on the roster. DiNucci returned to the NFL last year after a successful 2023 XFL season with the Seattle Sea Dragons. To many, it was presumed that the Broncos would keep the two remaining quarterbacks along with their rookie selection going into the 2024 season. However, things became even more complicated just a few weeks ago with Zach Wilson joining the roster.
Presumably as one of the most interesting quarterback stories on the depth chart, Zach Wilson and a 2024 seventh-round pick (No. 256) were traded to Denver in exchange for a 2024 sixth-round pick (No. 203). The former No. 2 overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft has had very difficult beginnings to his career, to say the least. After being drafted to a lackluster Jets offense, Wilson struggled to solidify himself as the franchise quarterback. His poor performance, coupled with a disastrous offensive line led to countless losses in the last three years.
Out of the 34 games played in New York, Wilson was sacked 134 times and threw 25 interceptions compared to his 23 touchdown passes. As an expected young star with such high expectations, the pressure began to cave in. Quarterbacks such as Joe Flacco, Mike White, Trevor Siemian, and Tim Boyle were utilized to take some of the pressure off of Wilson and allow him to integrate into the NFL at a slower pace. However, none of these options panned out for the Jets, and Wilson always found himself back on the field.
In between this carousel of quarterbacks, the Jets were able to pick up Aaron Rodgers who was supposed to serve as a mentor to Wilson and provide the team with a starting-caliber quarterback. This project ended as quickly as it started, with Rodgers tearing his Achilles almost instantly in his first game at MetLife Stadium. Wilson was then thrown back into the fire, as his frustrations continued to increase. With Wilson’s relationship with the Jets seemingly deteriorating over his three years in the NFL, it was clear that a fresh start was necessary. But what could the Broncos want with four quarterbacks on the roster?
It will be interesting to see how the quarterback room in Denver continues to develop throughout the offseason and into the preseason. However, there is a likely future for the Broncos. Rostering four quarterbacks is unlikely, so the Broncos are going to have to get rid of Stidham or DiNucci. Unfortunately for Stidham, the Broncos will get more bang for their buck by cutting him, saving the team $5 million. This scenario is even more likely when you consider DiNucci’s recent contract along with the immense paycheck owed to Russell Wilson. This would leave the Broncos with DiNucci as their practice squad player with Zach Wilson and Bo Nix suiting up every Sunday.
So are we seeing the beginning of a quarterback battle? It is important to note that Zach Wilson is only six months older than Bo Nix. If Wilson outperforms Nix throughout the offseason and preseason, the rookie may find himself as a backup in Week 1 and beyond. With a potential fire inside him and an urge to prove the Jets wrong, we might witness the revival of Zach Wilson’s career. Or not. Regardless, the two will have to compete with each other throughout the preseason to solidify themselves as Denver’s quarterback to start the season.
