Denver Broncos’ recent first-round draft pick, quarterback Bo Nix, has outperformed expectations during the preseason. Although Nix played mostly against second-string defenses in fairly straightforward setups, he commanded Denver’s offense through six scoring drives in seven possessions, raising questions about how this level of performance might translate into the regular season.

Nix has secured the starting quarterback position, meaning Broncos fans will soon gather more substantial insights into whether he can fulfill the franchise’s longing for a breakthrough quarterback. To date, their judgment is based solely on his preseason appearances across two games.

While Nix’s performance wasn’t flawless, perfection isn’t expected from a rookie quarterback, especially one operating within Sean Payton’s complex system. Nonetheless, he accomplished what was asked of him during the preseason. His impressive play earned him recognition from multiple football analysts, including Pro Football Focus, which placed him on their rookie All-Preseason team. Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski went even further, naming Nix the standout rookie of all preseason football.

Sobleski also highlighted the significant shift in momentum for the Broncos since Peyton Manning’s departure and pointed out that Nix, at 24, faced relatively little competition for the starting role compared to other rookies, like Caleb Williams in Chicago. Despite pre-draft skepticism about his potential, Nix has seemingly validated the Broncos’ decision to pick him 12th overall, the last of six quarterbacks taken before a significant draft gap.

Broncos have struggled at the quarterback position since Manning led the team to a Super Bowl victory and then retired. Nevertheless, with Payton’s offensive genius and Nix showing promising early signs, the outlook for Denver’s future appears optimistic, despite the small sample size and lingering doubts about Nix stemming from his college days.