New York Giants Draft Prospect: QB Bo Nix

Nick takes an in-depth look at Oregon QB Bo Nix's film.

Ezekiel Trezevant | Apr 18, 2024

Jan 8, 2024; Houston, TX, USA; Michigan Wolverines quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) passes the ball / Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports

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New York Giants

Bo Nix, QB

Height: 6’2
Weight: 214 lbs
Arm length: 30 ⅞”
Wingspan: 74 ¼”
Hands: 10 ⅛”
Class: 5th-Year Senior
School: Oregon
STATS

A former four-star recruit out of Pinson Valley, Alabama, where he was the third-ranked prospect in the state of Alabama and the 62nd nationally ranked player in the 2019 cycle. He was the number one ranked dual-threat QB in the class, ahead of Sam Howell and Jayden Daniels.

Nix initially attended Auburn, where his father was a legend after playing quarterback for the Tigers from 1992-1995. Nix’s father was also Bo’s (and Alabama’s Kool-Aid McKinstry’s) high school coach. Nix was a dominant high school quarterback for his old man; he missed the 2017 season with a fractured left ankle but returned to win Pinson Valley their second straight 6A State Title in 2018. Nix won Alabama Gatorade Player of the Year and was Alabama Mr. Football. He holds Alabama State passing records (10,393), total yards (12,505), and touchdowns (161).

Nix’s time at Auburn was turbulent. He had three separate offensive coordinators in three seasons, after starting as a true freshman. After his third season, Nix entered the transfer portal as a three-star recruit and the 19th quarterback. The Alabama kid - with a father revered by the Auburn faithful - took his talents to the Pacific Northwest and committed himself to the Oregon Ducks.

He finished his college career with a 4.3% Big Time Throw Rate and a 2.6% Turnover Worthy Play rate; however, that percentage was 1.4% in his two seasons at Oregon. Nix averaged 7.9 yards per attempt in college, with an average of 9.1 YPA at Oregon.

Nix adjusted well to Kenny Dillingham’s offense in his first season with the Ducks (he was Nix’s offensive coordinator when Nix started as a true freshman at Auburn, where he was the SEC Freshman of the Year). In 2023, Nix won the Pack-12 Offensive Player of the Year, the William V. Campbell Trophy, and he was First-Team All-Pac 12. He attended the Reese’s Senior Bowl where he didn’t necessarily seize the event.

Charted 2023 statistics:

467 total passing attempts - 125 of those attempts were behind the LOS (27%)
87 of 135 beyond 10 yards (64% completion rate)
40 of 57 between the numbers over the MOF + 10 yards (70% completion rate)
121 of 175 when blitzed; 21 touchdowns, 0 interceptions (69% completion rate)
20 of 40 beyond with 20+ air yards (50% completion rate)

Strengths

Good athlete with thick frame - moves well
Quick feet with solid explosiveness
Calm, poised, and controlled
Gets low and skinny to step up into the pocket - avoids rush well
Showed ability to operate well in pocket (would bail when unnecessary, though)
Good field vision/coverage diagnosis post snap
Very good at finding voided zone areas and attacking
Would double-clutch to avoid mistake or allow routes to develop - strong grip strength
Good pump-fake action enhanced by grip strength
Only had three fumbles at Oregon - was an issue for him at Auburn
Quick release in quick game
Smooth on dropback with hitch up into deeper throws
Functional drive on the football to fit tight windows
Not scared to challenge tighter windows over the MOF
Flashed very good ball placement (not always consistent)
Showed the ability to layer passes into specific areas over the MOF
Solid anticipatory skills over the MOF - will attack tight zones over the MOF
Decisive throwing SAIL and other High-Low concepts outside the numbers
Fluid athlete with the ability to throw on the run
Can throw off platform - comfortable and accurate on the move
Will use his eyes to manipulate deep defenders
Physical, not an easy player to tackle
A lot of experience in mobile RPO (Giants use these concepts)
Athletic ability and off-platform throwing allows him to efficiently operate a boot-action passing attack
Matured over the years as a quarterback
Coaches raved about his competitiveness - Oregon Head Coach stated: “he sits in the coaches' meetings and operates at a completely different level than anyone I’ve been around (per The Athletic’s Dane Bruglar).

View more draft prospect scouting profiles.

Weaknesses

Did drift and bail pockets when it didn’t seem necessary
Can be loose with throwing mechanics
Can operate quick game - however, front foot placement was inconsistent, leading to some inaccurate passes on slants/glance/skinny posts
Does he throw off his back foot on touch passes too frequently?
Modest zip and arm talent
Doesn’t have precise deep accuracy - some frustrating misses
Only has modest overall arm talent
Modest arm strength
Although great against the blitz, he was hardly pressured at Oregon
Suffered broken ankle in 2021 that required surgery (second broken ankle - separate - since high school)
Hardly played under center at Oregon
The Van Wilder of College Football - 24-year-old rookie

Summary

Bo Nix displayed resilience after transferring away from Auburn and establishing himself as one of the more productive quarterbacks in college football at Oregon. Nix started more college football games than anyone in the history of the NCAA (60 starts, 34 in the SEC).

Nix displayed the ability to operate quick concepts, with the decisiveness to attack over the middle of the field, the judgment to efficiently find solutions on high-low concepts, and the smooth/fluid ability to throw the football off-platform or on the move. His grip strength and ability to pump-fake or pump-correct would-be throws is a positive asset in his profile.

He has invaluable experience, and he’s a well-built athlete with below-average height/weight (41st percentile, 25th percentile). Nix’s arm talent doesn’t represent a first-round quarterback. He did display the ability to change the ball’s pace/trajectory over the middle of the field and on deep passes outside the numbers.

Still, his accuracy is inconsistent deep, and he threw some footballs behind receivers on slants. He only has modest arm strength, and his arm is not as powerful as many of the other top quarterback prospects in this draft class.

Nix has the intelligence, athletic ability, toughness, and leadership skills to be a professional NFL signal caller. The ceiling has a cap, but a rhythmic passing system predicated on quick dropbacks, timing, and efficient passing would fit well with Bo Nix’s skill set.

GRADE: 6.23