Mel Kiper Jr. compares Bo Nix to Drew Brees, sends him to the Denver Broncos, Sean Payton in latest 2024 NFL mock draft

While he’s not one of the three or four top quarterbacks in the 2024 NFL Draft, former Oregon quarterback Bo Nix still cracked the first round with ease in the latest mock draft from ESPN draftnik Mel Kiper Jr. And he earned a lofty comparison in the process: Drew Brees.

So it only makes sense that Kiper has the Denver Broncos and head coach Sean Payton — who won a Super Bowl with Brees under center in New Orleans — spending the No. 12 overall pick to nab Nix. It might be an overdraft, which Kiper acknowledged, but he thinks the Nix-Payton pairing in Denver makes sense.

“Smart, right? Cerebral kid, 24 years of age,” Kiper said on ESPN as he discussed the mock draft. “Professional in his approach. Is Sean Payton going to look at Bo Nix and say, ‘I got the next Drew Brees?’ That’s why I think at 12 in a division with [Patrick] Mahomes and [Justin] Herbert in the AFC with Josh [Allen] and Lamar [Jackson] and all those great quarterbacks, he’s got to get the guy. And whether he overdrafts or not, doesn’t matter. You gotta get the quarterback. I think he takes Bo Nix at No. 12.”

Much of Kiper’s comparison between Nix and Brees come from physical profile (Nix is a bit taller and probably slightly more mobile than Brees was) and their mental acuity for the position.

Fellow draft analyst Field Yates concurred that Nix could be the type of high-level processor with the ball in his hands that Payton covets.

“Both based off of what I have seen on the tape and what scouts that have also spent a lot of time watching Bo Nix have consistently brought up is the processing ability for Bo and what that could translate to in an NFL offense,” Yates said. “And with Denver, we know that what Sean Payton wants to do, first and foremost for his quarterback, is playing on time. He’s going to use designs that he believes if the quarterback executes appropriately, will lead to a very good offense. While Russell Wilson’s raw numbers last season were solid, Kevin, it was the fact that I feel like this offense was not operating as efficiently and quickly as it should’ve that led to the change.”

There’s also a question of arm strength. Nix doesn’t have a particularly live arm, but Kiper pointed out the same was true of Brees as a prospect.

“Well did Drew Brees have the big-time arm? He was the first pick in the second round for that reason,” Kiper said. “Arm strength can get a little better once you’re in the league. History has proven that with a lot of quarterbacks. The arm strength issue with Drew Brees wasn’t a factor, with Bo Nix I don’t think Sean Payton will look at that as a factor as well.” 

And Nix, as the son of a former college quarterback who went on to be a high school coach, can probably handle the hard-nosed coaching from Payton.

That’s an attribute the third man on the panel, draft analyst Matt Miller, said shouldn’t be overlooked.

“One more thing I’ll add: Sean Payton, he’s gonna coach you tough,” Miller said. “Bo Nix, son of a former college quarterback, he’s going to be able to handle tough coaching. He’s also been under Dan Lanning for two years. So Payton needs someone he can push on a little bit and I think Nix has the right personality for that.”