Bo Nix picks up praise after praise from head coach Sean Payton. The rookie quarterback appears to be on his way to becoming a starter

Sean Payton never misses an opportunity to praise his new quarterback. Bo Nix seems to be a real stroke of luck for the Denver Broncos. Could he even be on his way to becoming a starter?

Nix was selected by the Broncos at number twelve in the draft. He is the franchise’s great hope, as the team has not made the playoffs since the 2015 season, which the Broncos ended with Peyton Manning at quarterback by winning the Super Bowl.

Since then, the Broncos have been chasing success with players like Trevor Siemian, Case Keenum, Joe Flacco, Drew Lock, Teddy Bridgewater and most recently Russell Wilson. No quarterback has really worked out since Manning.

Payton now emphasized during OTAs that signal callers Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson are doing well in practice, but that Nix is better positioned than most rookies competing to make it in the league.

“He’s further along than most,” Payton said. “We’re talking about a player who’s played 61 games. He’s extremely smart. He’s picked it up very quickly.”

Most recently, Payton had already praised his new playmaker after rookie minicamp. “It’s almost like watching a good golfer. Sometimes when you watch his game over two years, you see a certain patience in the way he plays. The ball comes out and – I don’t want to use the term boring, that’s not the right term – but he makes pretty good decisions on every shot. The efficiency with which he operates. All of that,” Payton said.

Nix spent three seasons at Auburn and two more at Oregon, finishing his college career with 1,936 passing yards, 85 touchdowns and 26 interceptions in 61 games.