Is quarterback Bo Nix going to be selected by the L.A. Rams with their first-round pick in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft?
According to Colin Cowherd, the Rams may just do that. The well-known sports commentator considers it likely that the Rams will use their No. 19 overall pick to select the standout Oregon Ducks signal caller.
The L.A. Rams Hold the No. 19 Overall Pick in the 2024 NFL Draft
For the first time in nearly a decade, the Rams hold a first-round draft pick. As reported by Pro Football Network:
“The Los Angeles Rams are slated to have a first-round pick for the first time since they selected QB Jared Goff first overall in 2016 and are fresh off the heels of a near-historic 2023 draft class that propelled them into the playoffs.”
The Rams’ first-round selection is the No. 19 overall pick.
Sports Commentator Colin Cowherd Predicts Rams Selecting Oregon Ducks QB Bo Nix in 1st Round
Per Cameron DaSilva of Rams Wire:
“Colin Cowherd could see the[] [Rams] drafting Nix at No. 19 overall and having him sit for two years behind Matthew Stafford. Cowherd isn’t reporting any inside info, but simply sharing his opinion of what the Rams might do in Round 1.”
Cowherd considers the selection of Nix a distinct possibility despite the circumstance that the Rams have needs on the defensive side, particularly at defensive tackle, now that Aaron Donald has retired.
CBS Sports lists the Rams’ top needs in the upcoming draft as defensive line and edge rusher.
The quarterback position does not immediately jump off the page as one of the positions of need for the Rams. Two-time Pro Bowler Matthew Stafford is QB1; however, he is 36 years old now. The Rams also just brought in Jimmy Garoppolo, who will be QB2. Then, there is the curious case of Stetson Bennett, whose NFL past and future are shrouded in mystery.
ESPN rates Nix as the 43rd-best overall player in the upcoming draft, and the fifth-best quarterback, behind Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, and J.J. McCarthy. So, would utilizing the No. 19 overall pick on Nix be a wise move?
Perhaps so.
ESPN’s Mike Greenberg, host of the network’s Get Up, said on April 1, 2024, that four quarterbacks will “certain[ly]” come off the board in the first round of this year’s draft, that five will “probably” go, and “it’s a possibility that we wind up with six….” In this regard, Greenberg hearkened back to the historic quarterback-heavy first round of the 1983 NFL Draft, in which Hall of Famer Dan Marino was the sixth quarterback selected in the first round.
Cowherd agrees, and focuses on the Rams’ prospects in the first round:
“The Rams are a sleeper for a lot of people. They’re one of those teams that has been very successful without first-round picks. This is their first first-rounder in a long time, and they’re at 19. I can see the Rams sliding down if Bo Nix is there. I’ve been in a war room before and you start going, ‘Well, the next four teams don’t need quarterbacks.’ At 19, you’re getting into, like, Dallas may [take a quarterback], but they need some pieces. I can see the Rams going and saying, ‘We’re going to take Bo Nix and he’s going to sit for two years.’ I could totally see that happening.
“I think the Rams would roll the dice on Bo Nix because the Stetson Bennett [pick] didn’t work. [And] Stafford [seemingly gets] hurt at least once to twice a year. That one’s interesting.”
Rams Wire assesses Cowherd’s viewpoint as a sensible one, albeit probably not likely to come to fruition:
“Nix would seem like a pretty good fit in Sean McVay’s offense. He gets the ball out quickly, is accurate on short and intermediate throws and he has enough mobility to extend plays when his initial reads aren’t there.
“He’s still a limited passer and didn’t throw down the field much at all with the Ducks, so there are questions about his deep throwing ability and overall arm talent. But that’s why he’s not in the top tier of quarterbacks in this class, and it could get him drafted in the second round instead of the first.
“As possible as it is that the Rams will take a quarterback at No. 19, that feels a bit early for them to select Nix, especially if there’s a high-end pass rusher.”
But, PFF agrees with Cowherd, and in a recent mock draft, has Nix going to the Rams in the first round.
Bo Nix Bio and Stats
24-year-old Bo Nix is the son of former Auburn quarterback Patrick Nix.
Like his father, Bo started out his college football career with the Auburn Tigers. However, in 2022, he transferred to the University of Oregon.
In 2023, Nix was named the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year. Additionally, he was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy.
PFF provides the following glowing review of Nix:
“Not only does Nix play well under pressure, but he also avoids sacks at an elite level. In his last college season, Nix held a 1.2% sack rate, ranking second among all quarterbacks.”
Stay tuned to Gridiron Heroics for continued reporting concerning the NFL Draft, the L.A. Rams, and Bo Nix.
For more related sports news, focused primarily on the USC Trojans, SMU Mustangs, and Los Angeles Rams, please
More must-reads: