Post-draft QB rankings reveal surprising placement for Bo Nix
Post-draft QB rankings reveal surprising placement for Bo Nix
NFL teams will begin their training camps this summer and since there are no more spectacles for the league before the season, everyone is in their ranking phase. All things ranging from rosters, front offices, coaches and even quarterbacks have been ranked by the experts.
Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports ranked all 32 starting quarterbacks in the NFL after the draft and gave former Oregon Duck Bo Nix an interesting placement. Benjamin ranked him at No. 15, which isn't bad considering the outlook of Nix's career after college and in the early stages of last year.
Nix wasn't expected to be an elite quarterback coming out of college, but that didn't prevent Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton from drafting him in the first round. It looked like his career might've been over before it began when he started off his rookie season with no touchdowns and four interceptions through his first three games.
Then, Nix took off and by the end of the year he was widely considered to be the second-best quarterback in his draft class. Working under an improved stature this season, Nix hopes to keep ascending the NFL ranks and disproving his skeptics.
Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
What Analysts Get Wrong About Baker Mayfield's Buccaneers Deal
What Analysts Get Wrong About Baker Mayfield's Buccaneers Deal originally appeared on Athlon Sports. There is a common misconception when it comes Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield. When Mayfield signed a three-year, $100 million extension during the 2024 offseason, analysts compared the deal to similar agreements made by Geno Smith in Seattle (three-years, $75 million). Advertisement Mayfield was coming off a season in which he helped the Buccaneers reach the divisional round of the playoffs. He absolutely earned that money. Now, though, Mayfield has outplayed his current contract. That's the argument made by writer Tom Blair this week. Blair made it clear that Mayfield has outplayed his $33.3 million average. Last season, the former first overall pick set career highs in most statistical categories including passing yards (4,500), touchdowns (41), and passer rating (106.8). There's something that most analysts like Blair get wrong about Mayfield's contract, though. While Mayfield's per-year average is low, his cap hit is just over $23 million for this season. That number is actually $2 million more than Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts, and $5 million less than Patrick Mahomes. Advertisement Next offseason, Mayfield's cap hit is set to increase to a whopping $49 million. That cap number will count for 18% of the team's money per Spotrac, and will be $18 million more than Hurts next season. A big reason why the Buccaneers have been able to retain some of their top talent is because of Mayfield's current contract. Compared to other top quarterbacks in the conference, the Oklahoma product costs a fair amount. And at the end of the day, the Buccaneers know they need to retain as much of their talent as possible if they want to make a Super Bowl push. Mayfield may seem like an underpaid asset for Tampa Bay, but the reality is that he is exactly where he needs to be to keep the Bucs in contention. Advertisement Related: Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield Has Glowing Scouting Report On Emeka Egbuka Related: Buccaneers Boast Crowded Wideout Room Ahead of Training Camp This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Buccaneers' Overlooked Veteran Given Props By First Rounder
Buccaneers' Overlooked Veteran Given Props By First Rounder originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Former Ohio State wide receiver Emeka Egbuka is walking into as perfect a situation with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as any rookie receiver in history. Advertisement The 19th overall pick in the 2025 draft has aging veterans playing in front of him that include a Hall-of-Famer in Mike Evans, and a Pro Bowl talent in Chris Godwin. Together, the Godwin-Evans duo has consistently been one of the better receiving pairs in the league over the last decade. There's another veteran on the team that has helped Egbuka in his transition to the NFL, though. And this one is overlooked on Tampa Bay's loaded roster. Former New York Giant Sterling Shepherd. Egbuka spoke with NFL Network's Mike Garafolo and Sam Wyche after OTAs this week and name-dropped Shepherd as a key person in his development. Advertisement "I think every time I come back from running a route, if I a ran a good route or I didn't run a so-good route, Sterling [Shepard] is one of the first ones to be able to tell me and we'll watch it together on film post practice — we're always studying the game," Egbuka said. Shepherd was once a second round pick by New York in 2016 and quickly became a dependable player in their offense. He had over 500 yards receiving in each of his first five seasons with the team. Injuries forced the veteran out of New York, though, and into the Buccaneers locker room. He recorded 32 catches for over 330 yards, and a single touchdown last season for the Buccaneers in 2024. This season, Shepherd is fighting for a roster spot once again. The fact that he continues to be a leader for someone like Egbuka shows just how special a person he is. Advertisement And how important he could be for Tampa in 2025. Related: Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield Has Glowing Scouting Report On Emeka Egbuka Related: Buccaneers Boast Crowded Wideout Room Ahead of Training Camp This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Graham Barton Graded as Weak Link in Tampa Bay Buccaneers Offensive Line
Graham Barton Graded as Weak Link in Tampa Bay Buccaneers Offensive Line originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had a huge hole to fill in the offensive line after the retirement of Ryan Jensen. Jensen was consistently one of the best at his position throughout his career. Advertisement The team took Duke's Graham Barton with the No. 26 overall pick in 2024, hoping he could live up to the lofty standards at center that Jensen had set in place. While Barton was a guard in college, the transition was thought to be an easy one due to his raw skills. And it was. But in Pro Football Focus' latest rankings of NFL centers, Barton did not show well, ending up at No. 21. "While Barton's rookie season didn't culminate in an excellent grading profile, he showcased a solid foundation. In his second season at just 24 years old, the Buccaneers center will be hoping to build on his ability as a pass protector, where he allowed just a single sack across 640 pass sets in 2024." Advertisement Barton landed an overall grade of 55.6, which was the lowest across the Bucs' offensive line. Left tackle Tristan Wirfs earned an 82.5, left guard Ben Bredeson graded out to a 56.0, right guard Cody Mauch got a 74.6 and right tackle Luke Goedeke earned a 74.2. Notably, Barton was graded just higher than the guy he replaced, Jacksonville's Robert Hainsey, who filled in at center before he was drafted. Hainsey earned the No. 23 spot on the list. Kansas City's Creed Humphrey earned the top spot, followed by Baltimore's Tyler Linderbaum and Pittsburgh's Zach Frazier rounding out the top three. Related: Analysts Mistaken About Baker Mayfield's Buccaneers Contract Related: Buccaneers' Overlooked Veteran Praised By Rookie This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
