Bo Nix Talks NFL Draft, Oregon Football Career and More in B/R Interview

There will likely be a number of quarterback prospects taken in the first three rounds of the 2024 NFL draft, but Bo Nix believes teams will be thrilled with the decision to select him.

"They're getting an ultimate competitor who is super passionate for the game of football," the Oregon signal-caller told Bleacher Report on Thursday.

"An elite processor and someone who can make all the throws and can escape and do whatever they ask me to do. I've been fortunate enough to play in a lot of different offenses in college at Auburn and Oregon, so I know I'm able to do a lot. I'm just going to continue to improve and show I can be valuable to a team."

It is impossible to argue with his individual production as the reigning Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year who threw for 4,508 yards and 45 scores in 2023, but more jumped out about his game than just the statistics.

Nix's athleticism allows him to avoid the pass-rush and make plays both inside and outside the pocket. Throw in his accuracy on underneath routes and ability to quickly and accurately get the ball to his receivers, and there is plenty to like.

Still, this is a crowded quarterback class, and it is fair to wonder whether his long-term upside might be somewhat limited since he is already 24 years old and older than some starting quarterbacks in the league.

B/R's NFL Scouting Department ranked Nix as the fifth-best signal-caller in the draft behind North Carolina's Drake Maye, USC's Caleb Williams, LSU's Jayden Daniels and Michigan's J.J. McCarthy in its latest big board.

That means he is likely competing with Washington's Michael Penix Jr. to be the fifth quarterback taken with Williams, Maye, Daniels and McCarthy all expected to go near the top of the first round.

So what part of his game will help him stand out and directly translate the best to the next level?

"Processing," Nix said. "The ability to dissect information at a fast rate. We all can go out there and make throws and look good in shorts and a t-shirt, but when it comes down to it, you have to be able to process and make the play after you've thought about it and after you've made a reaction and decision."

That processing speed developed over a memorable collegiate career.

Nix first arrived at Auburn as a highly regarded 5-star recruit and the top-rated dual-threat quarterback prospect in the class of 2019, per 247Sports' composite rankings. Yet his time with the Tigers was largely defined by inconsistency that included a win over archrival Alabama as a freshman but the team finishing with just six wins in each of the next two seasons.

He then transferred to Oregon and turned in the best individual season of his career in 2022 until he surpassed it in 2023.

Nix completed a stunning 77.4 percent of his passes for 4,508 yards, 45 touchdowns and just three interceptions while adding 234 yards and six touchdowns on the ground in his final campaign. Oregon defeated every team but Washington, falling just short in two separate three-point losses.

Still, he bounced back from the defeat to the Huskies in the Pac-12 Championship Game by throwing for five touchdowns in a blowout win over Liberty in the Fiesta Bowl.

And he hopes he left a legacy with the Ducks.

"The competitive and passionate player I was," Nix said when asked what he will remember most down the line when reflecting on his time at Oregon. "I think I'll always be able to remember that. I was able to play in a lot of really cool games and historic games for Oregon. So, hopefully, I did enough where they're able to talk about our team for many years to come."

Playing so well to end his college career led to opportunities off the field, including a recent partnership with USAA.

Nix and fellow draft prospect Notre Dame offensive lineman Joe Alt joined the NFL's official salute to service partner and visited military members at the Selfridge Air National Guard Base outside of Detroit.

"I wouldn't be able to do what I'm able to on a daily basis without the military and all their service," Nix, whose grandfather served in the Air Force, said. "They allow freedoms that we have in our country and they're what makes our country so great. It puts things in perspective when I'm able to give back and hang out with those who serve our country."

Part of the experience included flying in a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter over Detroit, which is the site of the 2024 NFL draft.

"The experience in the Blackhawk without the doors was pretty incredible," he said. "Probably won't have an experience like that again."

Now that he has flown over the site of the draft in a helicopter, the next question is where he will be taken during the actual event.

B/R's NFL Scouting Department projected him as an early second-round pick at No. 34 overall to the Las Vegas Raiders in its most recent mock draft. That would be something of an ideal landing spot considering the Raiders aren't exactly loaded with future Hall of Famers at quarterback with Aidan O'Connell and Gardner Minshew II.

Even though Nix likely wouldn't become the immediate starter in such a situation, he could learn and gather valuable insight from a veteran in Minshew who has been both a starter and a backup at different times throughout his career.

But he primarily just wants to show improvement wherever he ends up.

"I think if I do my best and grow and develop and make strides," he said when discussing what he would consider a successful rookie season. "If I'm better coming out of my first year than I was when I went into it, then I consider it a success. There's so much you can use for success, but at the end of the day it's just about being the best version of yourself that you can be."

Now it's up to NFL teams looking for a quarterback to draft that version of Nix.