IN PHOTOS: Dan Lanning congratulates Bo Nix after Sean Payton's Broncos pick former Oregon QB at No. 12
Dreams turned into reality for Oregon Ducks quarterback Bo Nix on Thursday night. The Denver Broncos, led by head coach Sean Payton, selected Nix with the 12th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Nix's former coach, Dan Lanning was elated upon learning that his ward would be playing alongside top pros. Lanning, who traveled to Alabama to accompany Nix on the momentous occasion, took to Instagram to congratulate the youngster.
"Congrats to @bonix10 #NFL #1stround," Lanning captioned.
To add a celebratory touch, he included Lil Wayne's song "Let the Beat Build," along with the post.
The highly-rated recruit (five-star coming out of Pinson Valley High School) initially landed at Auburn but decided to seek a fresh start after 3 seasons. Transferring to Oregon proved to be a turning point.
Under the guidance of offensive coordinators Will Stein (2023) and Kenny Dillingham (2022), Nix transformed his game. The 2023 season was a breakout year for Nix. He shattered the NCAA record for completion percentage, connecting on 77.4% of his passes.
Nix also showcased his dual-threat ability by rushing for 234 yards and 6 touchdowns. This performance, coupled with 4,508 passing yards and 45 touchdowns to just 3 interceptions, earned him a spot among the Heisman Trophy finalists and Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year honors.
Nix's season caught the attention of the Denver Broncos, who selected him with the 12th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. This selection follows a legacy at Oregon, with Nix joining Justin Herbert (6th overall pick in 2020) and Marcus Mariota (2nd overall pick in 2015) as first-round quarterback selections from the Ducks program.
Denver's stealthy pursuit of Bo Nix
Coach Sean Payton and General Manager George Paton found it difficult to keep things under wraps during the pre-draft analysis as analysts were getting too close to the truth.
Once Nix emerged as their top target, Payton revealed some internal discussions with a humorous touch:
"Every time Chase Daniel or Dan Orlovsky said, 'This is perfect!' for Denver, I would be like, 'Shh! Can you be quiet?'" Payton said.
All around the nation, mock drafts heavily linked the Broncos to Nix. Payton admitted that they did their best to talk about other players.
“We did our best to talk about other players and directions," Payton said. "It's difficult sometimes. You don't want everyone to know that this is the player. But I saw what you guys saw. … We're like, 'Ah!' Those are things you can't control."
While ultimately uncontrollable, the pre-draft buzz surrounding Nix added a layer of intrigue to Denver's selection process.