Bo Nix ‘is picking things up incredibly fast’

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — For Bo Nix, Monday’s work wasn’t the best we’ve seen from him during training camp to date.

That doesn’t mean he isn’t making progress — or that he’s failing to make an impression. Quite the contrary, at least in the eyes of right tackle Mike McGlinchey, one of the Denver Broncos team leaders who served as one of the club’s captains last year.

“I think he’s picking things up incredibly fast and doing a great job,” McGlinchey said.

The lineman started by praising Nix’s “maturity.” That’s not an unusual compliment paid toward the No. 12 overall pick. But a promising aspect of Nix’s development is this, according to the 7-year veteran right tackle:

He doesn’t make the same mistake twice.

“He’s learned fast on the job. and he’s a very competitive dude and he takes a lot of pride in not screwing things up — or if he does once, he’s not going to do it again,” McGlinchey said.

Bo Nix is learning fast, according to returning Broncos captain Mike McGlinchey.

"He takes a lot of pride in not screwing things up — or if he does once, he's not going to do it again," McGlinchey said. "… Bo has been an impressive person in our locker room." pic.twitter.com/giSCkYky8B

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) July 29, 2024

And he isn’t afraid to ask questions of his veteran teammates.

“The little small details such as the cadence, it’s tough. He’s always coming out asking me, asking the rest of us, ‘How can I do that better? How can I do this better?'”

That’s part of how you earn respect as a newcomer.

“Bo has been an impressive person in our locker room, both as a player … [and] as a competitor and as a teammate he’s done a great job, too,” McGlinchey said. “I think Bo’s on the right track. I think he’s going to take the coaching that he’s going to get.

“He’s got some of the best in the world helping him out and I think he’s going to do great things for us.”

To scramble or not to scramble? And is it good to take off and run? In the eyes of Sean Payton, the answers aren’t strictly yes-or-no replies. And they’re relevant when it comes to the day Bo Nix had Monday.

His most dynamic play came when he took off from a collapsing pocket and ran for what would have been a gain of at least 20 yards in game conditions. But Nix also had a scramble during a seven-on-seven period — something that is a putative no-no for such a drill.

“We’re looking to throw in the pocket, but we’re also looking to make smart decisions with the football,” Payton said.

“… Look, the pocket in our league is not always clean. And so, when it gets dirty at times, then you have to be reactionary and your teammates have to as well.

“So, he’s being smart with the football, and it’s a strength of his.”

But there is also the learning-experience aspect of the job. One of Nix’s seven-on-seven repetitions saw Payton reset the play before proceeding. That happened during his first team-period work, as well. He also found himself under pressure, with both Zach Allen and John Franklin-Myers proving to be disruptive.

Jarrett Stidham came agonizingly close to making the play of the day.

During the seven-on-seven period, he had Marvin Mims Jr. open in a window deep down the right side of the field. Mims had plenty of separation. But Stidham put just a smidgen too much arc on the pass, allowing Tremon Smith and Tanner McAlister to close. The pass fell incomplete.

Stidham did have a highlight moment with a 20-yard connection to Troy Franklin during the initial team period.

It is also worth noting that Stidham was up second in seven-on-seven and team-period work. During practices last Thursday, Friday and Saturday, the No. 3 quarterback was the one who worked with the first-unit offense the previous day. So, Stidham was third up on Thursday, Nix on Friday and Zach Wilson Saturday. By that rotation, Stidham should have been No. 3 when the pads went on Monday.

But life and baseball — and NFL training camps — bring some curveballs.

Based on what the quarterback alone did, Wilson appeared to be the strongest of the three passers during the seven-on-seven period. The problem was that he was undermined by his receiving targets. Wide receiver David Sills had an on-target throw down the right flank skip off of his hands, napalming what would have been a 30-yard gain. One play later, tight end Thomas Yassmin dropped a pass in the right flat.

During a team period, Wilson was low on an attempt to tight end Lucas Krull, but the ball was catchable.