Broncos' Payton: Seeing Nix practice 'almost like watching a good golfer'

It's safe to say Broncos head coach Sean Payton is very pleased with what he's seen from quarterback Bo Nix at Denver's rookie minicamp.

"It's almost like watching a good golfer," Payton said Saturday, according to NFL.com's Bobby Kownack. "Sometimes when you watch his game over two years, there's a patience to how he plays. The ball comes out and - I don't want to use the term boring, that's not the right term - but pretty good decisions with each play. The efficiency with how he's operating. All of that."

Payton particularly mentioned Nix's precision when addressing why the first-year signal-caller stood out on the practice field Saturday.

"Location of throws. He had two or three down-the-field throws today," he added.

Desperate to find a new franchise quarterback, the Broncos drafted Nix 12th overall, a slot that many considered too high for the former Oregon stud. The 24-year-old - who made 61 starts in college football - was the sixth passer taken this year.

Broncos general manager George Paton recently said Denver believes that Nix will be "more game-ready" than a younger quarterback. Paton also revealed that he and Payton were sold on Nix following a private workout in March.

"It's been exactly what we saw," Payton said Saturday when asked if he's been surprised by Nix. "The only thing I can think about that was a little bit of a surprise is when we went to work him out privately and stood around him, he was bigger than I expected. But nothing in the last two days. He's doing well."

The Broncos have struggled to find consistency at quarterback since Peyton Manning retired at the end of the 2015 season. Denver has had 12 different starting passers in the last eight seasons, and the team hasn't had a winning campaign since 2017.

The Broncos made a blockbuster trade for Russell Wilson during the 2022 offseason before bringing in Payton as head coach. Denver released Wilson this year while carrying $85 million in dead money.

In addition to Nix, Denver rosters quarterbacks Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson, whom the club acquired in a trade from the New York Jets.