The 2024 NFL Draft is now less than a week away and opening night could make draft history. Sportsbooks expect 21-22 offensive players to be selected in the first round, which break the record of 19, and we also got to see the first defensive player exit the picture historically late. Additionally, we could see a record tied if six quarterbacks hear their name called Thursday night. One of those quarterbacks who appears to be on the cusp 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 passing yards, 29 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 2022, then upped the ante in 2023 with 4,508 passing yards, 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 four quarterbacks since 2000 to record 8,000 passing yards, 70 passing touchdowns and 20 rushing touchdowns in two seasons, likely joining the No. 1 overall Caleb Williams, Patrick Mahomes. and Deshaun Watson.
Nix leaves the college ranks after recording 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, what was the draft process like for you? Travel around, visit different teams. How did that happen ?
Nothing: “It’s been crazy. A lot of things have happened. A lot of traveling, but it’s fun stuff. Talking about football every day and being around football, that’s what I love.”
You are the most experienced quarterback in college football history. How do you think this will 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 being efficient when you get in the game. “So I think it’s only going to help moving forward, and I just need to get to 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 be in the right position, and whatever the situation is, I’m excited. I think everyone , his goal and his hope is to go in the first round or go as high as possible, but I think in the end it doesn’t really matter. team and you have 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 I am and how much I love being a teammate of other guys and how much I love being part of a team. Bringing our talents together to go there- down and winning games. Football is an ultimate team sport, and I love my teammates and making the people around me better and them making me better. The overall group effort where you sacrifice so much, you put in so much. in the game and you go out there and you just want to succeed and win on game days.”
What specific part of your game can you improve?
“I don’t know if you can ever be consistent enough. So moving forward, you know I was able to do it last year in college. I think I want to take that same attitude and the same mindset and put it all together and go out there and be extremely efficient You know, quarterbacking seems pretty easy when you put it into perspective like this: it’s just about getting the ball there. where it’s supposed to go, on time, accurately and with the right tempo, I think, everything goes well. It’s important not to overload the game, not to make it more difficult than it is. is, and to just get the job done.”
If you had to provide a comparison to the NFL, who is it?
“I’d like to think of a combination of a lot of different guys. I think in some ways it’s unfair to compare guys because no two guys are the same. Not only is it unfair to the guy you’re comparing me to, because I’m not them, I don’t have the same values and characteristics as them But I think when you look at the overall landscape, I like to expand games and try. to create the “cool” play like Patrick Mahomes use arm angles and arm talent like Aaron Rodgers is extremely tough, very competitive, I think he is underrated in the league, he is very efficient, very. smart, he understands the timing guys together, all those qualities and traits, I hope to use some of them and make the most effective quarterback possible.”
Nix spoke with CBS Sports courtesy of USAA, official partner of the NFL Salute to Service. Nix and colleague Joe Alt visited Selfridge Air National Guard Base, where they met 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 on a Black Hawk and see downtown Detroit like I’ve never seen it before. It was quite an experience to get into a helicopter with no doors. It was the one of the experiences of my life. Thanks to USAA, I couldn’t have done what I did. It was great for Joe and me.