GLENDALE, AZ — Thanks to an impressive five touchdown 363-yard performance vs. Liberty in a 45-6 win in the VRBO Fiesta Bowl, Oregon Ducks QB Bo Nix could be the next franchise quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings.
Nix simply loves the game of college football. Now, he prepares for his next adventure in the football universe which is the NFL Draft process. We know that Nix is going to be a first-round draft pick going somewhere.
Let’s look at the Vikings. Minnesota has major uncertainty at their future at QB. How does Kirk Cousins recover from his Achilles. Does he have a season or two or three left in him?
Will Cousins be the same QB he was before?
Depending on the final draft order, the Vikings could be as high as nine or low as late teens assuming that they most likely miss the playoffs.
Cousins doesn’t have a contract for the 2024 season. Joshua Dobbs, Nick Mullens, and Jaren Hall are not long-term QB1 answers, so the Vikings have to make a quick decision on a quarterback for the upcoming draft in Detroit.
If Nix ends up in Minnesota, he’ll have Kevin O’Connell as his head coach. With O’Connell being a starting quarterback in college at San Diego State, backing up Tom Brady in New England, and coaching QB’s at the NFL level, this could be a dream scenario if executed right.
We know he has the arm with dual threat capabilities however there are a few things he can improve on.
Pocket accuracy, mechanics, and footwork are his biggest areas of opportunity.
I’d give Nix a mid-1st round grade between 13-18.
The best scenario for Nix would be a Patrick Mahomes-type situation. Mahomes sat behind Alex Smith for a single season as he improved the little things to help him become the Quarterback he is today.
If Nix is able to sit behind Cousins for one year, then the Vikings could potentially hit a home run with this kid without mortgaging the future with trading away future first rounders.
The next question mark would be what quarterback would Justin Jefferson want to potentially sign his name on the dotted line. There are many things that the front office of the Vikings have to consider before taking their QB of the future.
However, Nix has the athletic tools and the smarts to potentially become something great.