NFL teams are always looking for the next big thing at quarterback. After all, there are only so many elite QBs around, which means the hunt for the next franchise solution never ends in the NFL. Bo Nix, who’s set to hear his name called at some point during the 2024 NFL Draft, hopes to become one of the next great signal-callers to emerge.
But there’s no consensus when it comes to Nix’s NFL Draft stock. Some say he’s a first-round pick, while others expect the former Oregon Ducks star to land somewhere on Day 2, either in the second or third round. Yet, one NFL Draft expert believes Nix has more potential than some are giving him credit for.
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Bo Nix labeled a ‘mobile Jimmy Garoppolo’
While Bo Nix seemingly has no chance of usurping Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, or Jayden Daniels as the top three quarterbacks off the board, he’s in the mix to be the very next one taken. This lot also includes Michael Penix Jr. and J.J. McCarthy, to name a few, but could Nix be better than both?
One NFL Draft expert, ESPN’s Jordan Reid, recently compared Nix to a QB who has a championship ring and also led his team to another Super Bowl appearance, even if he didn’t win the big game as a starter. His comparison called Nix a “mobile Jimmy Garoppolo.”
“With Bo Nix, they just didn’t let him throw the ball down the field a whole bunch. His offense predominantly contained pre-snap reads, quick throws, what I call grip it and rip it, just get the ball out, throw it as quickly as possible. An occasional deep shot down the field to Troy Franklin, and then just a bunch of quick screens. I think once you take Bo Nix outside of that offense, with how smart he is, a 77% completion percentage, the accuracy, the decisiveness, I think he can be like a mobile Jimmy Garoppolo, that’s what I’ve been comparing him to. He took you to a Super Bowl. So think Nix is a guy a lot of teams are going to like. I’ve heard top-15 buzz on him. People have said New Orleans at 14, or Minnesota at 11. There’s a lot of mixed opinions.”
ESPN’s NFL Draft expert Jordan Reid on Bo Nix
As mentioned, a lot of teams could use a player who’s described as a “mobile Jimmy Garoppolo.” A lack of mobility and an inability to stay healthy are likely the only reasons why the San Francisco 49ers eventually moved on from Jimmy G, but if they could suddenly add more athleticism to their former QB, there’s a chance he’d still be leading the team today.
Nix has a lot of untapped potential, and after showing his athletic ability at the college level, teams could grow enamored with his hint of dual-threat capability in the pros too.
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