Trent Dilfer, Jordan Palmer eye Bo Nix as potential first-round pick in 2023 NFL Draft

After struggling with consistency for three seasons at Auburn, Bo Nix made a move and transferred to Oregon with two years of eligibility remaining. There, he improved immediately and will return for the 2023 season as one of the most interesting quarterbacks in the country, even earning first round pick consideration.

Both Jordan Palmer and Trent Dilfer spoke to Sports Illustrated, praising Nix as a potential first round pick.

“From a ceiling perspective, being that next quarterback on the board wouldn’t be too high,” Palmer said. “He’s got the tools to be considered a first-round pick and really, really underrated athleticism. He’s fast for a fast guy. Not kind of fast for a quarterback. He’s going to have a lot of productivity this year.”

Palmer admitted that Bo Nix’s inconsistencies at Auburn are going to hurt him and can be difficult to unsee. However, he did thrive once he got to Oregon and played in a new system with an experienced offensive line. Should he continue to grow in 2023, then he becomes an interesting name in the NFL Draft.

Trent Dilfer also noted that Nix has the intangibles to become an interesting choice among the quarterbacks in 2024.

“He’s that kind of guy, his teammates are gonna die for him,” said Dilfer. “He’s got that toughness, I don’t know if there’s a better term for it, physical and mental toughness, resilience, grit, and packaged in a good body, as a really good athlete, that has become a much better thrower.”

The expectation is that Caleb Williams and Drake Maye will be the top two quarterbacks in the 2024 NFL Draft. However, with plenty of time before the draft, things can change and in a quarterback-driven league, there’s also likely room for more than those two to be taken in the first round.

Shortly after the 2023 NFL Draft, CBS Sports even mocked Nix to be a first round pick.

How the departure of Kenny Dillingham will impact Bo Nix

Last year, Bo Nix and Oregon offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham proved to be a great combination. They were so great, in fact, that Dillingham landed the Arizona State job. He was quickly replaced by Will Stein, an up-and-coming coach.

But, how will that move impact Bo Nix? ScoopDuck’s Justin Hopkins told JD PicKell on On3 Roundtable that Nix played a role in choosing Dillingham’s replacement.

“I think that was a huge part in Dan Lanning’s hiring process when he had to go look for a new OC with Kenny Dillingham getting the ASU job. I’m not sure that you could say Will Stein obviously didn’t have the longest resume, but I think he just meshed really well with Bo Nix, the existing offense, some of the same terminology, obviously, not all of it, but I think kind of that continuity was a really big key for them in going after Will Stein,” Hopkins said.

“You look at what he did at UTSA, and they put up some record numbers. Oregon has shown that it can have a really strong running game. A great complement and I think that, although the timing was a little bit off, I think the wrong hire might have possibly impacted Bo Nix a little bit. So if you got Bo Nix to sign off on it, I think that a big selling point for Dan Lanning.”