The Denver Broncos were back out on the grass on Tuesday. It was Day 1 of mandatory minicamp, and as head coach Sean Payton said after practice, the approach is very similar to OTAs, with one major exception: teams are allowed to spend more time in meetings and on the field.
On Day 1, the Broncos spent a lot of time in red zone drills. That allowed for a marquee display by second-year quarterback Bo Nix, who once again looked very sharp.
Payton offered some feedback on what he saw from Nix on Tuesday during red-zone work.
“Today was our first red zone day. He was outstanding [last year]," Payton said of Nix. "[The] significance of the running game crossing the 15 [-yard line], you can’t understate. All of that we look at in the offseason, self-scout, ‘What do we want to add? What do we want to remove? What can we do better?’ So I think his performance in that area will improve as we do as a unit.”
For the first time in a long while, the Broncos ranked in the top 10 in red-zone efficiency last year, converting 62.5% of possessions inside the 20-yard line into touchdowns, which ranked seventh in the NFL. That was with a rookie quarterback.
As Payton and his offensive assistants continue to tweak and improve the run game, Nix's efficiency, and that of the offense, should only improve in the red zone. Beyond any epiphanies gleaned from the self-scouting process, the Broncos also invested in some new personnel to help move the rushing needle.
The Broncos drafted RJ Harvey in the second round to provide speed and explosion, and on Tuesday, the team reportedly signed former Los Angeles Chargers running back J.K. Dobbins, who nearly rushed for 1,000 yards last year despite missing four games, including a 96-yard performance in his one matchup vs. Denver.
Nix has had a strong offseason, and combined with the improvements the Broncos have made, there's every reason to believe he'll build on his historic rookie campaign. Entering Year 2, there have been anxious whispers of Nix producing a possible sophomore slump, but Payton's presence is the ultimate prophylactic to that dreaded ailment.
Nix has looked markedly more comfortable at the controls this offseason, but when it comes to comparisons to other second-year quarterbacks, Payton isn't interested in connecting the dots.
“I don’t want to compare him to the others because he’s different," Payton said of Nix. "I see him much further along right now with what we’re doing, taking a play into the huddle real quick. I see him making good decisions. I can’t tell you about the others.”
Payton isn't the only one at Broncos Park Powered by CommonSpirit who's seen Nix's confidence and comfort level rise this offseason. And that's saying something, considering how poised and collected Nix was as a rookie last year. Just ask veteran safety Brandon Jones.
“I have, and I’ve seen his overall comfort level on the field. You can see he’s doing a really good job of trying to diagnose the defense, which goes a super long way, especially as a quarterback," Jones said on Tuesday. "A lot of young quarterbacks kind of struggle with that early on. He’s done a really good job of dissecting the defense, and figuring out what we are playing and making the right checks that he needs to make. He’s definitely made a lot of strides.”
The arrow is definitely pointing up for Nix, which is music to Broncos Country's ears because as Bo goes, so does the team in 2025. The Broncos will hold two more mandatory minicamp practices on Wednesday and Thursday before being dismissed for the six-week NFL summer.
“He came in the league ready to rock and roll. You’ve all seen it," Broncos left tackle Garett Bolles said on Tuesday. "I don’t have to say much about that. The dude is a freak, and he’s so composed and he’s so calm. He’s just a smart dude. He knows exactly where the ball’s going to go. He can read defenses. He’s calm and composed in the huddle."
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