2024 Senior Bowl: All eyes on the quarterbacks

With the Broncos in the market for a quarterback, the Senior Bowl will be a big week in their draft process.

Senior Bowl week is finally here and it could be a big week for the Broncos and their search for a starting quarterback. While the top names like Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, and Jayden Daniels will not be there, the next-best quarterbacks will be. Oregon’s Bo Nix and Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. will both be there and will likely have the attention of the Denver Broncos this week. Both quarterbacks have varying grades by analyst but they both could be in play for the Broncos with their 12th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

So, let us take a look at the notable quarterbacks who will be practicing, interviewing and playing in the 2024 Reese’s Senior Bowl.

Oregon Quarterback, Bo Nix

If you see the Broncos selecting a quarterback in a mock draft, it most likely will be Bo Nix. The former Auburn and Oregon quarterback has turned himself from a disappointing prospect at Auburn into a potential top 10-15 prospect at Oregon. He had himself a breakout final year at Oregon and put himself into the Heisman conversation. He did not win, but he did end up third in voting. Now, this week he will be proving to NFL coaches, executives, and scouts that he can continue his ascension and be a starting quarterback for a team in the NFL.

He is a player that Broncos head coach Sean Payton, general manager George Paton, and the rest of their scouting staff will be focusing on. A strong week would put him firmly in range for the Broncos at 12 and potentially be their most realistic option in the draft. So, all eyes will be on Nix and how he does in the practices throughout the week.

The most important thing to happen this weekend will not be on the field but in the meeting rooms. All 32 NFL teams will meet with the prospects and get a feel for them on a personal level and get them on the whiteboard and all that. How these prospects handle these interviews will be key and big for a prospect like Nix.

Washington Quarterback, Michael Penix Jr.

Like Nix, Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. will be a prospect all quarterback-needy teams like the Broncos will be focusing on. He is coming off a very good season at Washington that saw them advance to the National Championship game. In the end, Michigan ended up winning, but it was still an impressive season for the lefty quarterback. Now, he’s one of the more controversial prospects in the draft and will look to silence doubters during the practices this week.

This will be a big week for Penix because teams will get to see how he does in an NFL environment. After having a rough National Championship game, he will be looking to bounce back this week and elevate his stock back to where some thought it was after the Texas game. He seems like someone who will do well in the interviews so that will be beneficial for him but at the end of the day, his medicals at the upcoming scouting combine will determine where he goes in the draft.

For the Broncos evaluators, they will get an up close and personal look at Penix. If he showcases his arm talent and accuracy this week while also being impressive during the interviews, he could be an option for them at 12th overall.

The others

Tulane Quarterback, Michael Pratt – If you want the Broncos to not take a quarterback in the first round and wait until the second or third rounds to take one, Pratt is a name to watch. He has traits that make him an ideal Sean Payton quarterback. He is a quick processor who excels in the play-action game while having the athleticism to extend plays and an arm to make plays all over the field. A strong week at the Senior Bowl could elevate him into the Nix, McCarthy, and Penix tier of quarterback prospects in this draft.

South Carolina Quarterback, Spencer Rattler – Rattler probably has the most arm talent of any quarterback in this year’s draft and has a bunch of “wow plays” on tape. However, his inconsistencies make him a tough projection for evaluators. This will be a big week for Rattler who has a chance to impress during the practices but I do not think he fits the type of quarterback Sean Payton is looking for. Payton wants a decisive rhythm thrower while Rattler is more erratic and Russell Wilson-like as a passer. With that said, he has all the tools and Payton could view him as a developmental guy he can turn into a star in his system.