Mel Kiper evaluates Bo Nix comparisons to Drew Brees
Bo Nix has several quality attributes to his game that make him a great player and draft prospect. Mel Kiper Jr. sees those too, even going as far to say that it reminds him of one of the best quarterbacks to ever play the position.
Kiper assessed Nix as a player in the NFL on Wednesday last week. He evaluated several features of his overall game in his assessment, including his accuracy and his experience over his five seasons at his two programs.
“(Nix) had it all going (at Oregon) and he had a system where he was able to get the ball out, negate pass rush,” said Kiper. “He was super accurate at 77%, he didn’t throw picks, and he could beat you with his legs.”
“Bo Nix has started a ton of games at Auburn and Oregon, battling through adversity at Auburn. His dad was a quarterback there. He was a guy that was a highly-recruited kid. Goes to Auburn, supposed to be the guy and it didn’t work out there, even though he had some games at Auburn where he was really impressive. It didn’t work out there,” Kiper recalled. “Then he goes to Oregon and he puts everything together. He’s 24 years of age, he’s a mature professional already.”
Nix finished his collegiate career with 61 games for the Tigers and the Ducks. In that record number of starts, he produced 15,352 yards, 113 touchdowns, and 26 interceptions on 66.4% completion.
Although a legacy player on The Plains, Nix’s career improved in Eugene. 8,101 yards and 74 touchdowns on 74.9% completion came during his two years at Oregon, one less campaign than he spent at Auburn.
With all that said, Kiper then made the comparison between Nix and a legend in Drew Brees. Based on size and attributes, he sees the similarities between the two of them and their respective games.
“I think, what I said yesterday on all the shows I did? When I was asked about Bo Nix, I think that Sean Payton will see a lot of Drew Brees in Bo Nix,” said Kiper. “Very similar, hand size the same. Drew was six foot and a half, Bo is 6’2 but they’re both 215.”
“I think Sean Payton? As I said, (Nix) doesn’t have the big-time arm. Did Drew Brees have a big-time arm coming out? No, he did not. That’s why he was the first pick in the second round,” Kiper said.
Having shades of Brees is what could certainly add more speculation to the thought that Nix will be the pick for the Denver Broncos at No. 12 in the 2024 NFL Draft. The franchise is in serious need of a quarterback after letting go of Russell Wilson and, with Payton’s connection to Brees from their time in New Orleans, it could lead to Nix being their answer to that problem.
“I think when you look at Bo Nix? It wasn’t a hunch, it wasn’t anything I heard. It was just a common-sense hunch,” said Kiper. “They don’t have a second-round pick so trading up is going to be very difficult for Denver. You’re in a division with (Patrick) Mahomes and (Justin) Herbert, the AFC with Josh (Allen), Lamar (Jackson), and (Joe) Burrow – you’ve got to get a quarterback somehow, some way.”
“Jarrett Stidham may be okay but you’re not going to get excited about Jarrett Stidham’s potential,” Kiper said. “Maybe he develops with Sean. Who knows? But I thought Bo Nix made sense because of the comp to Drew Brees.”
Getting a comparison to one of the league’s all-time leading passers is quite the compliment for Nix from Kiper. He sees a striking resemblance between the two, though, which, come draft night, could make him a target for those in The Mile High City.
“When I looked at Drew Brees’ numbers and Bo Nix’s numbers? It was staggering, really,” Kiper said. “It was eye-opening.”
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