It’s halftime in the Oregon-Utah Week 9 showdown, and Oregon QB Bo Nix has already amassed a commanding lead for the Ducks. And in the process, Nix has perhaps opened the eyes of his 2024 NFL Draft detractors and solidified his status as a Round 1 passer.
Oregon QB Bo Nix Solidifies 2024 NFL Draft Status vs. Utah
At the half vs. Utah, Nix has completed 14 of 16 passes for 142 yards and two scores. One of his two incompletions was a drop on a perfectly placed bucket throw to the boundary. And on top of his passing stats, he has a rushing touchdown.
All this comes against a Utah defense that prevented potential No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams from finding the end zone a week ago and held him to 256 passing yards — his third-lowest output on the year.
This is by no means an invitation to invoke the transitive property and posit that Nix might be a superior prospect to Williams. That’s not the case. Williams is younger and possesses a more dynamic arm. But Nix has secured his status as a Round 1-worthy passer.
Nix was near-perfect in the first half against Utah — and in the best way a QB can be. He no doubt has the athleticism, arm elasticity, and off-script ability to be a playmaker. But against Utah, he was carving up the defense as a distributor, getting the ball to his targets with timeliness and accuracy.
Beyond those bedrock traits, Nix has also shown an extremely impressive mix of unflappable poise and malleability within the pocket. On one of his TD throws, Nix stepped up to avoid the rush and released the ball while off-platform and still managed to deliver an accurate throw.
That ability to be so composed and controlled even while off-platform is one of Nix’s defining traits, and it’s what makes him stand out as a 2024 NFL Draft prospect.
Past Williams and North Carolina’s Drake Maye, the race for QB3 is still wide open in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Michael Penix Jr. is a favorite for some, but a recent rough outing against Arizona State can’t be ignored. J.J. McCarthy is the trendy pick, but he still has yet to face his two toughest opponents in Penn State and Ohio State.
MORE: Free NFL Mock Draft Simulator With Trades
More than anything, Nix’s performance against Utah has driven home the point that he’s just as viable a choice for QB3 as the other two signal-callers mentioned, and each evaluator’s choice might ultimately be up to preference.
If you want the younger passer with a longer developmental track, high-end talent, and proven upward growth, McCarthy is your guy.
If you want the decisive, surgical pocket passer with elite competitive toughness, driving velocity, and situational precision, Penix is your man.
And if you want a smooth operator with effortless off-platform ability and awe-inspiring control of his chaos-inducing gifts, Nix might be the QB for you.
There’s still a half of football to play as of this writing, and Nix needs to close out the game against a tough Utah defense. But if what he’s shown so far is any indication, he has the tools, pocket maneuverability, accuracy, and rhythm to get it done.