Bo Nix Earns Top-Five Ranking Among NFL's Rising Quarterbacks

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We've reached that point in the NFL offseason where lists and rankings from around the internet drive what little football conversation there is on social media. That's why outlets like FanDuel dropped a listicle meme on Wednesday, featuring the NFL's top 10 quarterbacks entering Year 2 or Year 3: to drive engagement.

As you can see below, Broncos quarterback Bo Nix was ranked quite high by FanDuel, but he still checked in at No. 4 behind three all-too-familiar names.

Why FanDuel is Wrong

It's great to see Nix ranked in the top five of the NFL's rising quarterbacks. But FanDuel is wrong.

Here's how I would rank the Year 2/Year 3 quarterbacks.

1. Bo Nix
2. Caleb Williams
3. Drake Maye
4. Jayden Daniels
5. Cam Ward
6. Michael Penix Jr.
7. Jaxson Dart
8. Tyler Shough
9. Shedeur Sanders
10. J.J. McCarthy

I will simply say that, while Maye, Williams, and Daniels may have the individual accolades (Rookie of the Year/Pro Bowl/All-Pro nods), none of them have come even close to out-producing Nix over the past two years.

In fact, Nix has been the most prolific quarterback in NFL history through his first two years. He and Russell Wilson are tied for the most regular-season wins through a quarterback's first two seasons, but Nix blows him out of the water when it comes to statistical output over that span.

Nix Stands Alone

The best illustration of Nix's prolific dominance? He stands alone as the only quarterback in NFL history to win 20-plus games, while passing for 7,500-plus yards and 50-plus touchdowns through his first two seasons.

Former Broncos All-Pro safety Justin Simmons hit the nail on the head when comparing Nix to his peers of the 2024 quarterback class.

"No disrespect to any other quarterbacks, but from his class, [Nix is], like, by far the best," Simmons told Kay Adams earlier this offseason. "I think he's playing better than all of them. And I think, when you are showing quarterbacks, you are not just going for the stats, right? You're not just saying, like, 'Here's the touchdowns, here's the interceptions, here's the passing yards throughout the season.' Ultimately, quarterbacks are evaluated by their wins." 

The chasm that separates Nix from the likes of Cam Ward, Tyler Shough, Jaxson Dart, Michael Penix Jr., J.J. McCarthy, and Shedeur Sanders is considerable. None of those quarterbacks should really even be mentioned in the same conversation as Nix right now, though I remain open to the possibility of that changing.

Various Arguments

People can assert that Maye, Williams, or Daniels are better than Nix, but nobody can out-argue the stats and the wins. I hear things like, "Well, obviously Nix has more wins than everyone else from the 2024 class; he started out of the gates, and he had Sean Payton!"

Exactly. Add it to the list of reasons why Nix should be ranked above his 2024 peers. He earned the privilege of being a day-one rookie starter under the withering eye of Payton. In the same breath, though, many of these same people will lambast Payton and talk about how overrated he is as a coach. Pick your lane, and stay in it.

The starting job was not handed to Nix, by the way. Broncos fans know that Nix had to out-duel Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson for the starting job in 2024.

Williams was also a day-one starter, as was Daniels. Maye is actually the only outlier in this department, starting just 12 games as a rookie.

By the way, Williams didn't come close to Nix's rookie numbers, finishing with 3,541 passing yards and 20 touchdowns to Nix's 3,775 and 29 passing scores, despite starting all 17 games. Daniels was named the Rookie of the Year and even earned Pro Bowl honors, although his rookie numbers also fell short of Nix's (3,568 yards and 25 touchdowns).

Meanwhile, despite having to compete with Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert in the AFC West, Nix won 10 games as a rookie starter, and snapped his team's heretofore eight-year playoff drought. Daniels had it far easier in the NFC East, let's face it.

2026 Outlook

Things are looking up for Williams, though, with the arrival of head coach Ben Johnson in Chicago. It will be interesting to see whether Williams can sustain his momentum in Year 3. I'm betting he will.

Maye is primed to take a big step backward, though. The New England Patriots had one of the easiest schedules in the NFL last season; that changes this year, as they draw a first-place slate of games, plus the teams of the AFC West.

Daniels may be the most talented of this group, but can he stay healthy? That was always my concern with him as a prospect, and it unfortunately proved to be well-founded in his injury-riddled second year.

Nix's goals this year are to win the Super Bowl and be named the NFL MVP. Notice how the Lombardi Trophy comes first? Winning has always taken precedence for Nix, and it always will.

The Takeaway

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but if we're ranking Year 2 and Year 3 quarterbacks in the same bucket, what are we basing it on? The eye test? Social media clout? Media hype?

I'd argue it makes more sense to base it on something everyone can see and touch: stats and wins. And in that department, Nix vanquishes all comers in the Year 2/Year 3 crop of quarterbacks.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Published 16 hours agoCHAD JENSEN

Chad Jensen is the Publisher of Denver Broncos On SI, the Founder of Mile High Huddle, and creator of the popular Mile High Huddle Podcast. Chad has been on the Denver Broncos beat since 2012 and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America.

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