Where can Bo Nix improve in 2023? NFL Draft analyst breaks it down
Going into the 2023 NFL Draft, Oregon Ducks quarterback Bo Nix likely didn’t have a high enough draft stock to be selected where he wanted to and likely would have been a mid-to-late-round pick.
He had a stellar season in 2022 for the Ducks and was among the Heisman Trophy contenders before a late-season injury derailed things, but after an up-and-down career at Auburn, it appears that NFL teams wanted to see more from the Oregon passer before paying him millions of dollars.
That’s fair, in reality. While Nix had a great first year as a Duck, there were a lot of things that went his way, such as having a familiar offensive coordinator calling plays for him, and one of the best offensive lines in the nation protecting him.
Going into 2023, both of those things have changed, with Will Stein now running Oregon’s offense, and a remade offensive line getting set to try and keep him clean.
If Nix is the QB we think he is, then he will certainly have a chance to prove it this year.
So on top of showing the similar play and consistency that we saw last year, where can Nix improve in 2024? ESPN recently ran an article breaking down that question for the top passers in the nation, noting where they already excel, where they need the most work, and what their realistic NFL Draft expectations should be.
Here is the breakdown for Nix:
Where Nix Excels
According to NFL Draft analyst Jordan Reid, this is where Nix already excels in his game going into the 2023 season:
Nix reinvented himself in his first season with the Ducks after transferring from Auburn. Operating in an up-tempo, hurry-up offense, he set career highs in passing yards (3,593), passing touchdowns (29) and completion percentage (71.9%). He has an excellent understanding of space reads and complements that with adequate ball placement in a scheme that features leverage reads and quick passes to backfield options. And Nix has just enough arm strength to push the ball down the field, so the Oregon offense picks and chooses when he should make timely throws to deep targets.
Our Take
It’s clear that Nix was the driving force of the offense in 2022 operating alongside offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham, a play-caller whom he had a longstanding relationship with. While his arm talent and rushing ability was on full display, leading to one of the top offenses in the nation, the most important part of Nix’s game in 2022 was his ability to avoid mistakes, which went contrary to his career at Auburn.
While a poor offensive line to start his career often led to the QB attempting to play hero ball and make plays that weren’t there, Nix was able to sit in the pocket and read defenses last season and was rarely asked to shoulder the load and make the plays himself.
Where Nix Can Improve
According to NFL Draft analyst Jordan Reid, this is where Nix can improve his game going into the 2023 season:
Nix must be more consistent in throwing to the intermediate-to-deeper parts of the field. His arm strength limitations become apparent when he attempts to make those throws down the field in contested situations or into tight windows. This offense doesn’t operate in those areas consistently, so he’ll need to show that he has the deep-ball arm strength and accuracy in limited spots.
Our Take
When talking to Oregon legend Joey Harrington earlier this year on the Sco-ing Long Podcast, I asked the QB where he thought Nix could improve this year and up his future draft stock.
“I don’t know, don’t get injured?” Harrington replied.
It’s a fair point. When healthy, Nix was as good as any QB in the nation last year, with a career-best completion percentage. Reid notes the need for more consistency in the intermediate passing game, which is definitely something that can improve, but if Nix had the same season in 2023 as he did in 2022 — minus the injury — I think the Ducks could be among the best in the nation.
NFL Draft Outlook
According to NFL Draft analyst Jordan Reid, this is where Nix projects at the moment for the 2024 NFL Draft:
“He looked like a completely different player than what we saw at Auburn,” said an area scout of Nix. “Looked much better as a passer.” Nix navigates the pocket well and isn’t shy about taking off and running. He had a career-high 510 rushing yards and 14 rushing touchdowns in 2022. The Ducks signal-caller displayed plenty of growth as a passer during his first season in Eugene, but continuing on that track will be essential for his draft status.
Our Take
There is a belief that Nix’s draft grade in 2023 was around a fourth or fifth-rounder. I think a lot of that was due to the injury curtailing things at the end of the year, and the rather “flash in a pan” concerns that came with the QB putting up this type of production for the first time.
If he is able to put up similar numbers again and show that last year was not simply just a fluke, then he could easily become a first-round pick.
