Many people predicted a run on quarterbacks in the first round of last week’s draft, but few envisaged six signal-callers going in the first 12 picks.
As expected, Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye went off the board with the first three selections, with Michael Penix Jr and J.J. McCarthy going later in the top ten.
The Denver Broncos entered the draft needing a new QB and in possession of the number 12 pick. They would pull the trigger on Bo Nix for a pick that many believed to be something of a reach, with the Oregon star forecasted to go later in the first or even in the second round.
But Broncos general manager George Paton said his side did not hesitate at the opportunity to draft Nix in a premium slot, citing his age and experience as a big positive.
"You look at it, it's hard because this is new, but 24 years old is not that old for football," Paton told 9NEWS Denver. "You evaluate it, but you're really evaluating the player, you're evaluating the person. Evaluate how they fit in with the organization, especially for a quarterback.
"To me, the age, they're going to be more, especially with a guy like Bo Nix, 61 starts, we feel like he'll be more game-ready than if we were going to draft a 21-year-old."
The Broncos’ need for a quarterback came after the team decided to release Russell Wilson last month. Nix underwent a private workout with the team on March 18 which cemented his status as head coach Sean Payton’s top target.
"I'd watched all the quarterbacks, seen them live (during the regular season on scouting trips)," Paton added. "And then the season's over, I get with Sean and we watched the quarterbacks (on tape). And Sean liked a lot of these quarterbacks.
"And when we got to Bo, it was pretty instant. Sean was like, 'man.' You know, Sean.
"He really liked him, and then we went to the private workout and spent three hours with Bo in the meeting setting, and he was outstanding. And we go out to the field, and he made 10, 15 throws, and Sean came up to me and said, 'This is the guy.'
"And I said, 'Hey, we've got a whole process to go through. But he was really the target from then on."
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