ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Bo Nix is grateful to be a Denver Bronco.
He's humbled and excited, and he's honored that Head Coach Sean Payton and General Manager George Paton chose him with the 12th-overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
"It's just a huge honor," Nix said. "[They] could've picked anybody else in this draft, and [they] chose me. But with that comes great responsibility and one that I can't take lightly and I won't take for granted."
And yet, Nix also already understands that there's more to accomplish and more to strive for than simply being the team's top selection.
"I don't want to just be a draft pick," Nix said at his introductory press conference. "I want to be able to show my improvements and show that I can do what [they] picked me to do, and that's to go out there and help win games [and] do whatever I can to put his team in a better situation."
Nix said believes he's in the "perfect spot" in Denver, and he said he would have picked Denver among all the possible teams he could have landed with because of the relationships they built in the pre-draft process.
Nix also noted it is "surreal" to be learning from Payton after watching him work with Drew Brees for more than a decade.
"I grew up watching Drew Brees," Nix said. "I grew up watching Coach Payton coach. I watched their Super Bowl. I knew the efficient offenses that they had and how well they worked together and honestly, in college, you learn — you're with so many different coaches — that relationship is so important. It's one that every quarterback and play caller and head coach need to have together. I'm excited to be around him. I'm excited to learn from him. Everything he tells me is something that I'm probably not going to know, so I'm going to do the best to take it all in and apply it to the field."
Nix has heard the comparisons to Brees in regards to how he'll fit in Payton's offense, but Nix knows his play matters more than media projections.
"Whenever you're comped to a guy like Drew Brees, it's an honor, just because the success he had, the career that he had," Nix said. "All it is, is just talk. I have to go out there and continue to do things, just for the respect of that comparison. I think that's what excites me the most. I'm excited to just play football. I'm excited to go out there and compete."
A 61-game starter in college, Nix will rely on his vast experience as he prepares for his first season with the Broncos.
"I think experience is one of the best teachers, really in anything," Nix said. "The more you do something, the better you should get at it. Whatever happens, I'm around a great support staff, I'm around great coaches who have been doing this at a high level for a very long time, and … I'm going to be able to take it all in, learn as much as I possibly can, grow as much as I possibly can just to where I can be the best version of myself so I can give that to my teammates [and] I can give that to this organization."
A 2023 Heisman Trophy finalist, Nix also believes he will benefit from being a part of a quarterback room that includes a trio of players with NFL experience in Jarrett Stidham, Zach Wilson and Ben DiNucci.
"I'm so excited to a be a part of this quarterback room with Ben, Zach and Jarrett," Nix said. "Obviously they've had great careers thus far. They're all different, but I feel like we're all kind of made up the same, just ultimate competitors and just excited to grow as players. … I followed Jarrett at Auburn and didn't have a chance to be his teammate, but [I] looked up to him on my way through. [I] obviously watched a lot of Zach as he went through the process, and [I'm] really excited to get to know Ben. Can't wait to be around those guys. I know we're going to have a really good group, a group that's going to push each other and make each other better and support one another, too."
As Nix aims to be more than his draft status, he said he'll be dedicated to helping the team win whether he's on the field or not.
"My goal for this year is to do whatever I can quite simply to help this franchise and organization succeed at a high level and win games," Nix said. "All the players, that's our job. We show up each and every day to do whatever we can to win games. We have a great opportunity here. It's an unreal organization. The fans are incredible. … Everyone that is a part of the organization, that's what our goal is.
"For me, I've just got to start from somewhere and grow each and every day to be the best player I can possibly be for my teammates and for my coaches."
