The 2024 NFL Draft is now less than a week away, and opening night could make draft history. Sportsbooks are anticipating 21-22 offensive players to be selected in the first round, which would break the record of 19, and we also could see the first defensive player come off the board historically late. Additionally, we could see a record matched if six quarterbacks hear their names called on Thursday night. One of those quarterbacks who is seemingly on the line of being a first-round pick is Oregon’s Bo Nix.
After three seasons at Auburn, Nix took his talents to Oregon in 2022 — where his production absolutely exploded. He threw for 3,593 yards, 29 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 2022, then upped the ante in 2023 with 4,508 passing yards, a whopping 45 touchdowns and just three interceptions. Nix also set the FBS record for single-season completion percentage (77.4%), while the Ducks went 11-1 and earned a Pac-12 Championship berth.
His two years in Eugene were historic, as Nix became one of just four quarterbacks since 2000 to record 8,000 passing yards, 70 passing touchdowns and 20 rushing touchdowns in a two-season span, joining probable No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams, Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson.
Nix leaves the college ranks having recorded the second-most total yards in FBS history (16,965), and the most starts in FBS history (61). He’s accurate, he’s athletic and he’s ready for the next step, which is the NFL Draft.
This week, Nix spoke with CBS Sports about the upcoming draft and himself as a prospect in a new Q&A.
CBS Sports: Tell me, how has the draft process been for you? Traveling around, visiting different teams. What’s it been like?
Nix: “It’s been crazy. There’s been a lot going on. A lot of traveling, but it’s all fun stuff. Talking about football each and every day, and being around football, which is what I love.”
You are the most experienced quarterback in college football history. How do you think that is going to help you at the next level?
“Well I think experience is something you can’t teach. Experience is just something you have to go through, and I think it helps the overall process of the game, the overall ability to play well and be efficient when you get in the game. So it will do nothing but help I think moving forward, and I just gotta carry that over into the next level.”
Is it important for you to be selected in the first round?
“That’s a great question. I think it’s important for me to go to the right team and to be in the right fit, and whatever situation that is, I’m excited. I think everybody, their goal and their hope is to go in the first round or to go as high as possible, but I think at the end of the day it doesn’t really matter. You’re part of a team and you get the opportunity.”
What’s something NFL teams don’t know about Bo Nix that you want teams to know?
“I don’t think they know how passionate and how much I enjoy being a teammate to other guys and how much I enjoy being a part of a team. Putting our talents together to go out there and win games. Football is an ultimate team sport, and I love my teammates and making people better around me and them making me better. The overall group effort to where you sacrifice so much, you put so much into the game and you go out there and you just want to succeed and win on game days.”
What’s a specific part of your game that you know you can improve on?
“I don’t know if you can ever be consistent enough. So moving forward — you know I was able to do it this past year in college. I think I want to take the same attitude and same mindset and put it together and go out there and be extremely efficient. You know, quarterback sounds fairly easy when you put it into perspective like this: It’s just about getting the ball where it’s supposed to go to, on time, accurately and with the right tempo. I think when I do that, everything works out. It’s important not to over-process the game, not to make it harder than what it is, and just get the job done.”
If you had to provide an NFL comparison for yourself, who is that?
“I would like to think a combination of a lot of different guys. I think in a way it’s unfair to compare guys because no two guys are the same. Not only is it unfair for the guy you’re comparing me to, because I’m not them, I don’t have the same values and characteristics that they have. But I think when you look at the overall landscape, I enjoy extending plays and trying to make the ‘cool’ play like Patrick Mahomes. I like to use arm angles and arm talent like Aaron Rodgers. Matthew Stafford is extremely tough. Very competitive, very gritty, I think he’s underrated in the league. Joe Burrow is very efficient, very smart, great processor and understands timing. When you put all those guys together, all those qualities and traits, I hope to use some of those and make the most efficient quarterback possible.”
Nix spoke with CBS Sports courtesy of USAA, Official NFL Salute to Service Partner. Nix and fellow draft prospect Joe Alt took a visit to Selfridge Air National Guard Base, where they met with members of our military, and even hopped in a UH-60 Black Hawk to fly over Detroit and the NFL Draft site.
“They were able to take us up on a Black Hawk and experience downtown Detroit like I’ve never seen it before. It was quite the experience, going up in a doorless helicopter. It was one of the experiences of a lifetime. Thanks to USAA. Without their partnership, I wouldn’t have been able to do what I did. It was a blast for Joe and I.”
