Having second-year quarterback Bo Nix firmly entrenched under center is working wonders for the Denver Broncos in many different ways.
The 2025 NFL draft opened up considerably for the Broncos because Nix excelled as a rookie, offering much more moving forward. Once a team finds its long-term answer at quarterback, everything else flows from it.
The recruiting benefits of having a burgeoning franchise quarterback also skyrocket, as the Broncos' championship vision comes together. The case in point is how Nix's presence bled into how both free-agent safety Talanoa Hufanga and inside linebacker Dre Greenlaw became sold on head coach Sean Payton's ongoing project in the Mile High City.
"Even talking to Dre (Greenlaw), he was my locker partner at the Niners and then we came here together, we were like 'Man, when you got a quarterback that can go out there and really play, as a defense, you know it's just not three and out,'" Hufanga told Bennie Fowler of DNVR. "There are a lot of teams like that in the NFL. So for us, it's like 'We got potential here. Why can't we come over here and help change?' He's the reason."
The most stunning aspect of what Hufanga said about becoming a Bronco is that he feels Nix is "the reason" why two coveted free agents with a Super Bowl appearance on their resumes would sign on the dotted line.
Hufanga isn't simply playing a hunch that a young quarterback might develop if he's surrounded by good players; the star safety has flat-out seen that Nix can move the chains and really help a defense keep fresh.
Playing complementary football might not be that sexy for the average football fan, but for established, proven players like Hufanga and Greenlaw, who are desperate to win a championship, it becomes a casting vote.
"He reached out immediately," Hufanga said. "[I] got to see him the day I signed, got to chop it up with him. He's a guy that's just been a gamer."
That's not to say that Nix doesn't have room for improvement in keeping the offense ticking over most effectively. Nix could be greatly aided by the arrival of veteran tight end Evan Engram, particularly when it comes to improving on the 29 touchdown mark he set as a rookie, the second-most in NFL history.
Even so, without a strong running game to control the clock and grind opposing teams down, Hufanga will be squeezing his flowing curly hair back into his new helmet a lot more frequently than he perhaps imagined. Enter second-round running back RJ Harvey, whom the Broncos hope will unlock their offensive line's top-level run-blocking, redounding to even more consistency and success for Nix.
There's still work to be done in Denver, but the early returns and vast potential have already proven to be attractive to prospective free agents. Call it 'the Bo Nix effect.'
