The Denver Broncos will be drafting a rookie quarterback in the first round who will be the most talked-about player on the roster heading into the 2024 season.
Bo Nix was drafted 12th overall and was expected to be the team’s future, but should expectations be tempered? Many analysts feel the Broncos “overdid” Nix, and the fact that he was the sixth quarterback selected in the draft cannot be ignored.
The 2024 NFL Draft saw an unprecedented number of quarterbacks selected, with six of the first 12 picks. The fact that the Broncos took the last quarterback on that list raises a lot of questions, but the trend cannot be overlooked.
The Denver Broncos acquired Bo Nix
After the draft, Broncos head coach Sean Payton made it clear that the team got the player they had always wanted, and while any team would say that, what Payton said rings true in that the team just liked what the Knicks brought to the table.
But a lot of that is unlikely to be true. Either some teams missed out on the Knicks’ talent, or at least some of those teams flopped on some of the five quarterbacks they drafted ahead of the Knicks. It’s possible that all six quarterbacks have great careers, but that’s the least likely of all scenarios.
Here, we look back at the last five NFL Drafts and focus on the quarterback selected with the sixth overall pick in each draft. While none of these players were selected in the sixth round, you’ll also notice that none of them stood out.
So either 2024 was an exception and there were a ton of quality quarterbacks in that class, or the Broncos overdrafted Knicks and time will tell. One of those statements is almost certainly true.
Going back to 2019, here are the sixth-best quarterback picks from each year: You start to notice a trend going all the way back through history.
2019-2023: 6th QB selected in each year’s draft
2023: Jake Haehner, New Orleans Saints – Fourth Round
Career Stats: N/A
The five quarterbacks selected ahead of him: Bryce Young, CJ Stroud, Anthony Richardson, Will Revis and Hendon Hooker.
Jake Haehner did not play as a rookie, having been suspended for the first six weeks of the season for violating league rules regarding banned substances. The team drafted Spencer Rattler this spring, and he will play for a spot on the roster this summer.
2022: Sam Howell, Washington Commanders – 5th round
Career stats: Completed 63.2% of his passes for 4,115 yards, 22 touchdowns, 22 interceptions
The five quarterbacks selected ahead of him: Kenny Pickett, Desmond Ridder, Malik Willis, Matt Corral and Bailey Zappe.
Sam Howell was the sixth-best QB in a very weak draft class at the position. It took just 18 games for the Commanders to trade him, which they did this offseason, sending him to the Seattle Seahawks where he will be the backup to Geno Smith going forward.
2021: Kyle Trask, Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Second Round
Career stats: 3-of-10 passing for 23 yards
The five quarterbacks that were selected ahead of him: Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Trey Lance, Justin Fields and Mac Jones.
The Broncos needed a quarterback in this draft and had a chance to take one with the ninth overall pick, but instead selected Pat Surtain II.
The Buccaneers’ selection of Kyle Trask never materialized, and there were rumors last summer that they were pushing Baker Mayfield in training camp, but given Mayfield’s season, that likely won’t happen this year.
2020: Jacob Eason, Indianapolis Colts – Fourth Round
Career stats: 5-of-10 passing, 84 yards, OTD, 2 INTs
The five QBs selected ahead of him: Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert, Jordan Love, Jalen Hurts.
There were roughly 70 picks in this draft, from the fifth-best QB (Jalen Hurts) to the sixth-best (Jacob Eason). The five names before Eason are arguably the best on this list, but there was a big drop off after that.
Eason spent the majority of his career on five different teams’ practice squads and is now out of the league at just 26 years old.
2019: Ryan Finley, Cincinnati Bengals – Fourth Round
Career stats: Completed 48.7% of his passes, 638 passing yards, 3 TDs, 4 interceptions
The five QBs selected ahead of him: Kyler Murray, Daniel Jones, Dwayne Haskins, Drew Lock, Will Grier.
Those who remember this draft will recall that Ryan Finley was highly anticipated as a late draft bargain, the Bengals drafted him with an eye on the future, but he never quite lived up to those expectations.
After two seasons, he was traded to the Houston Texans, but before the start of training camp that season, the Texans waived him.
All of the other quarterbacks selected above Finley are still in the league, with the exception of the sadly deceased Dwayne Haskins, who has been out of the league for three years.
Where does this leave Bo Nix?
This may not seem like much, but historical trends are there for a reason — the Knicks will likely be the exception — but there may be light at the end of the tunnel.
In 1983, the most anticipated draft in league history, especially at the QB position, the QB selected sixth overall was…Dan Marino.
