Bo Nix was the sixth quarterback selected in a QB-heavy draft last summer, but he’s making a strong late-season case for Offensive Rookie of the Year. One of the most impressive aspects of Nix’s season is how much trust Broncos coach Sean Payton has in him – and how well he’s living up to those expectations.

Nix is ​​on pace to throw the eighth-most passes by a rookie quarterback in NFL history. These throws also have a relatively high level of difficulty. With an average target depth of 7.6, Nix ranks 10th among starting quarterbacks this season (min. 300 targets) and 11th among all rookies since 2018 (min. 300 attempts). While Chicago’s Caleb Williams throws deeper (8.2 aDOT), Nix does so with an accuracy rarely seen in the NFL.

Nix’s completion rate of 64.9 percent is the eighth highest among freshmen since the merger (at least 300 attempts). Here, too, he is surpassed by Jayden Daniels with a potentially record-breaking completion rate of 69.6 percent. Nobody in this class takes care of the ball like Nix. His sack rate of 4.55 percent is the ninth-best among rookies since the merger and the best since Derek Carr’s rookie season in 2014, while his seventh-best interception rate of 1.5 percent is the lowest since CJ Stroud’s OROY campaign last year year is.

Nothing will break any records this season. The passing offense is quite simple as it meets DVOA (19th) and Dropback EPA (21st) standards. That should go without saying, considering Denver has a collection of talented position players not named Courtland Sutton. However, as a rookie, it was extremely impressive to see Nix handle the ball like a veteran in his debut season. This also continues to improve over the course of the season. As of Week 7, Nix is ​​seventh in the league in EPA/Play and 11th in completion percentage above expectations.

Rookie campaigns are often based on stunning performances or rewriting record books. Nix’s fall brings a veteran level of stability and consistency to a team in desperate need of a quarterback since Peyton Manning’s retirement.