NFL insider projects winner of Denver Broncos starting QB job

The Denver Broncos quarterback battle is one of the more interesting, and wide-open, competitions throughout the NFL at the moment.

Sean Payton has been tasked with choosing the franchise’s next signal caller, after moving on from Russell Wilson. Three options are available for the Broncos — first rounder Bo Nix, incumbent Jarrett Stidham and former New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson.

As part of his predictions for each quarterback battle in the NFL, ESPN’s Dan Graziano focused on the Broncos, and where Denver could look in 2024.

“Nix was the 12th overall pick in this year’s draft. A lot of people were surprised he went that early, but Broncos coach Sean Payton identified Nix early in the pre-draft process as the player he wanted for his system,” Graziano reported. “Stidham finished last season as the starter after the benching of Russell Wilson. And Zach Wilson is the 2021 No. 2 overall pick who never showed much with the Jets and got traded away for a sixth-round pick.

“You can place Zach Wilson as a clear No. 3 in this race right now, based on everything I’ve heard. He obviously has high-end talent and could theoretically show enough in camp to move up, but he never really did that in three years with the Jets and so far doesn’t seem to have impressed anyone very much in Denver.”

Evidently, Graziano believes it’s a two horse race between Nix and Stidham for the gig, as Wilson hasn’t exactly shown to be a threat since arriving with the AFC West franchise.

“That would put this between Stidham and Nix, and it seems like they’ll both get chances to show what they can do in camp,” Graziano reported. “Stidham knows the offense because of his experience in it last season, and there have been times this offseason when that experience and knowledge have shown through and he has looked smoother than Nix.

“But let’s be honest here: Nix is Payton’s guy. He will start eventually, and the Broncos hope for a very long time. This is not the kind of even competition we’re seeing in Pittsburgh and Las Vegas, because we know how it will turn out eventually, even if not by Week 1. Nix — who threw 45 touchdown passes and three interceptions at Oregon last season — would have to look completely overwhelmed in camp and preseason games to lose out to Stidham in this competition.”

In the end, Graziano believes Nix will be the one starting Week 1: “I don’t expect Nix to look overwhelmed, and I expect Payton to run his hand-picked QB of the future out there right away.”

Alas, Bo Nix isn’t your typical rookie quarterback, as he enters the NFL with immense experience as a starting quarterback in college, with the Oregon Ducks and Auburn Tigers. Under Sean Payton’s tutelage, he could be ready to roll Day 1, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Dan Graziano’s prediction come true.