Denver Broncos reunite Bo Nix with former Oregon teammate after trading up in 2024 NFL Draft
Denver Broncos reunite Bo Nix with former Oregon teammate after trading up in 2024 NFL Draft
The Denver Broncos are hoping that reacquainting rookie quarterback Bo Nix with his Oregon colleague Troy Franklin would help him adjust to life in the NFL.
The Broncos made a move up the draft board to choose receiver Franklin, who spent three years receiving passes from Nix in college, on the last day of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Although the Broncos and Seahawks had recently dealt, the 2022 trade for former Super Bowl winner Russell Wilson did not work out as planned, and he will be in Pittsburgh the following season after leaving the team just two years after the agreement.
On Sunday, they reached out to the Seahawks again to acquire their No. 102 pick in exchange for picks 126, 136, and 207. In addition to this, they received a seventh-round pick (No. 235) and managed to select Oregon receiver Franklin.
The draft was a tense affair for the Broncos, who were unsure if they’d be able to select Nix in the first round, and while many have predicted that with the 12th selection he may have gone too high, Denver are out to give him the best chance to succeed.
Despite the uncertainty, Franklin’s arrival could potentially ease both players’ transition to the NFL. Nix will join Jarrett Stidham and Ben DiNucci in the quarterbacks room, and head coach Sean Payton is hopeful that their first-rounder can hit the ground running.
If Nix and Franklin can replicate their 2023 connection, it could provide a significant boost. Last season, Franklin scored 14 touchdowns in 13 games, achieving career-highs in receptions (81), yards (1383), and his largest single play gain was an impressive 84 yards.
The 6-foot-2, 180-pound receiver clocked a 4.41 40-yard dash time at the NFL Combine, offering the Broncos explosive speed to compensate for the departure of Jerry Jeudy who was traded to the Cleveland Browns.
Denver were keen to draft Franklin as soon as they used their 12th-overall pick on Nix, but they were unsure until the last minute whether their plans would be thwarted. In a first round dominated by quarterbacks, a new record was set with six QBs being selected in the first 12 picks.
Caleb Williams was always going to be the Chicago Bears’ No. 1 pick, with Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye predicted to complete the top three.
However, Nix, J. J. McCarthy, and Michael Penix Jr. could have been chosen at any point, and even the Broncos couldn’t figure it out.
“I think I said to (general manager) George (Paton), ‘We think Minnesota likes J.J. McCarthy, we think – we don’t know this – we think the Raiders like (Michael) Penix,” Payton revealed after the first round. “And we like Nix. Let’s get on a conference call with all of them and say, ‘No one spends any money. We think we know this (order).'”.
Penix Jr. was selected by the Atlanta Falcons with the eighth overall pick, creating a stir even though they had just signed Kirk Cousins. After the Vikings selected McCarthy and other teams gave different positions priority, the Broncos maintained composure and were able to acquire Nix.
Paton continued, “We just didn’t want to overthink it.” “This individual was ours. We planned to take our man. We gave it some thought, but not too much. In the end, this was our guy, even though we could have gained some picks and moved a few picks back.”
“Just take him, please. Don’t overthink this. If we had lost him for maybe a few fifth-round choices or anything, we would have been devastated.”
