Broncos coach Sean Payton on drafting Bo Nix: 'When you watch him, it’s pretty calming'

In the lead up to the 2024 NFL Draft, the Broncos' brass made it clear that their first-round pick was a decision it had to get right following an offseason shakeup that included the release of quarterback Russell Wilson.

Denver went on to select Oregon quarterback Bo Nix with the No. 12 overall pick on Thursday night, and Broncos head coach Sean Payton detailed why he believes Nix is the ideal fit for his offense.

"He's extremely intelligent, really smart. He handled a lot of the protections," Payton said Thursday night, via the team transcript. "When you watch him, it's pretty calming. He's very efficient, and it's not just because of the [underneath throws]. You see a ton of NFL throws in their offense."

Nix, 24, enters the NFL with more experience than most QB prospects, having started 61 games at Oregon and Auburn across five collegiate seasons. He thrived in his final year in Eugene with 4,508 passing yards, 45 touchdowns (three interceptions) and a 77.4 completion percentage to become a Heisman Trophy finalist.

Producing such numbers in a quick-strike offense similar to that of Payton's made Nix all the more intriguing for Denver. But in a top-heavy draft that saw five QBs selected in front of Nix -- including the mock-busting selection of Michael Penix Jr. to Atlanta -- getting the chance to select him was a frenzied proposition.

"It got a little crazy there for a minute," Payton said of the sequences leading up to Denver's selection of Nix.

Yet, trying to keep Nix within Denver's sights was unnerving all along going into Thursday night, according to Payton.

"Once we knew this was our target, every time [NFL Network analyst] Chase Daniel or [ESPN analyst] Dan Orlovsky got on like, 'This is perfect!' I would be like,