Is Hype of Raiders' Rival QB Just That?

Las Vegas Raiders rival Denver drafted quarterback Bo Nix in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Some considered Nix "undraftable", and despite a hot preseason, some still don't by the hype.

Aug 18, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) and quarterback Jarrett Stidham (8) before the preseason game against the Green Bay Packers at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports / Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

The Las Vegas Raiders drafted tight end Brock Bowers at 13th overall. Just one pick before, the Denver Broncos selected Oregon quarterback Bo Nix. The pick was scrutinized by some, as Nix had a second-round draft grade by a good amount of draft experts.

One expert, former NFL Super Bowl-winning backup Drew Stanton, spoke with our Hondo Carpenter Sr. on an episode of the "Las Vegas Insider" podcast. Stanton called Nix "undraftable" and rated him at the bottom of his quarterbacks list. He graded Nix a "Developmental Backup."

"When you've really got to put your hand in the fire and say, 'Is this the guy I'd want to draft?' -- I'm not feeling comfortable saying that," Stanton said.

Stanton named poor footwork and mechanics along with not having to "push the ball downfield" much at Oregon.

"He has the capability to look good at times," Stanton said. "The consistency isn't there though. ... I look at a guy like this, and I'm like, 'this is Stetson Bennett' ... a guy that's sneaky athletic and can make plays and do all of this stuff. ... But then you start looking at the nuances of it, within this offense he was only asked to throw the ball a very short distance and guys would run. That's alarming to me. A lot of [his passes] were at or just behind the line of scrimmage."

During the preseason, Nix performed well in two games and separated himself from Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson, his competition. Nix was named the starter. Does this mean that Sean Payton, the biggest advocate for Nix, was correct? Not necessarily. There is still a regular season to be played for the polarizing rookie.

Some aren't buying the preseason hype, either. The 33rd Team's Marcus Mosher named Nix among his "buy or sell" players preseason list. Mosher is selling on Nix. Call it grounding.

"There is no question that Bo Nix has looked fantastic in the preseason," Mosher wrote. "He's carved up two defenses and has looked incredibly confident in both contests. However, most of his passes have been close to the line of scrimmage against second and third-team defenses. That doesn't take away from what he's done, but it's also not overly impressive either.

"Nix has done enough to warrant more looks and should get a chance to start early in the 2024 season. But don't expect him to light the world on fire out of the gate, either. Sean Payton is keeping the offense simple, and it's working against vanilla defenses. Color me skeptical that he's going to look THIS good right away."

Preseason is far from the regular season. Breakout preseason performances should be taken with a grain of salt.

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