Sean Payton went to extreme lengths to hide Bo Nix draft preference from rivals
By Mark Powell
Sean Payton once wanted to draft Patrick Mahomes until the Chiefs traded up ahead of the New Orleans Saints. That's the story we've heard a million times since the first round of the NFL Draft. In some ways, it's in defense of the Broncos selection of Bo Nix at No. 12 overall -- a player many thought didn't belong in the first round at all.
Nix is a fine player out of Oregon, but his ceiling is much lower than many of the prospects in his draft class. The comparisons between Nix and Drew Brees have already begun, and are unfair to Nix, who shouldn't be forced to emulate a Hall-of-Fame quarterback.
Denver was concerned about leaks, specifically in regards to Nix, their most likely QB option at 12. So, Payton and George Paton made sure no one, even some scouts and executives in their room, knew that they preferred Nix in that position.
In order to keep their QB preference a secret, the Broncos' draft board in the draft room was not in order of preference, instead just random, per @AlbertBreer.
— Zac Stevens (@ZacStevensDNVR) May 5, 2024
Only a small group knew the order, including Sean Payton, George Paton & Greg Penner.
Broncos were concerned the Raiders would trade ahead of them
The Broncos were concerned during the draft that teams would trade up ahead of them, especially if those teams knew Denver was intent on taking Nix. The Raiders, in particular, worried the Broncos, per Albert Breer.
"Enough people, by then, had connected the dots to where Denver had to be careful. Which is one reason why the Broncos stayed where they were at 12, resisting a trade back, and had mild concern that the Raiders could leapfrog them. Once Penix went at No. 8, that killed any idea of a trade down, since it took that option off the table for a Vegas group that had been linked to the Washington QB. Denver was locked in, fingers crossed that nothing would change," Breer wrote.
Payton believes he can mold Nix into the quarterback the Broncos need him to be, much like he did Brees in New Orleans. Of course, Brees possessed many of the tools professional quarterbacks need. Nix has yet to do so, and at 24 years old should be fully developed. His floor is high, but can Payton turn Nix into a Pro Bowl-caliber passer?
There's no guarantee Nix starts right away for Denver, as Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson remain on the roster. But neither of those players should scare Nix, a rookie Payton and the Broncos have risked a lot on.
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