When Denver chose Bo Nix in the 2024 NFL Draft, Broncos coach Sean Payton felt assured the team had studied the quarterback enough to know what it was getting with the No. 12 pick. But the former Pinson Valley High School and Auburn standout still managed to surprise the coach during his rookie season.

“I think the one thing all of us, myself included, the one thing that we got maybe a little bit even better than we expected was his speed,” Payton said on Tuesday during a press conference at the NFL Scouting Combine, “and his, I don’t want to say scrambling ability – we saw that – but his running ability.

“He didn’t run here. He had a turf toe, he later told me, because I asked him. I thought, ‘Why?’ because he would do well in these shuttles. And so usually if that’s something you’re going to be ahead of your class, you’re going to do. But he had a turf toe, and I would say coming away from that first year, there were a number of plays where I thought, ‘Man, we didn’t see that on tape.’”

In addition to passing for 3,775 yards and 29 touchdowns – the eighth-most yards and second-most TD passes for a rookie in NFL history – Nix ran for 430 yards and four touchdowns on 92 carries. Forty-one of Nix’s rushing attempts resulted in first downs.

Nix started every game and helped the Broncos reach the postseason for the first time since the 2015 campaign.

The rookie success came after Nix’s selection met with some skepticism. Denver had used the 12th pick on the sixth quarterback to be chosen in the 2024 draft.

“You just had to watch the games,” Payton said of the Broncos’ evaluation of Nix. “You just had to watch the athleticism, the learning curve. If I did this, let’s just say, from a media perspective for a living and I have this vision as to what I think he is and then all of a sudden: Ahhhhh! Look, he’s got plenty of arm strength. We saw it. Just look at all the numbers relative to his completions downfield. I think he was third in 20-yard completions. And I said this last year: Respectfully, I think it’s a tough position to evaluate, and there’s a difference between entertainment and then from the club side, where it’s everything.”

Denver’s 10-7 record in 2024 marked the Broncos’ best showing since the franchise won Super Bowl 50. During his combine press conference, Payton was asked if adding a tight end or a running back would be the most beneficial offseason addition Denver could make to aid Nix’s growth in his second season.

“The running back and the tight end could help in his development,” Payton said, “then I would also say a really good, elite pass-rusher could help in his development, a really good cover corner, and so I’m only saying that meaning the best player that helps the team get better is going to help in his development. When you talk about getting him weapons, certainly that’s important, and you mentioned two positions that obviously would help. But I think we got to look closely at what helps the team because that in turn can really end up helping that position.

“But I think at 20 (in the 2025 NFL Draft), we’ll have some good options. We’re here to sort through those options right now, and we’ll kind of go from there.”

Broncos general manager George Paton echoed those sentiments during his combine press conference.

“It’s really good to have those in place, obviously — great ownership, great head coach, really good quarterback that we think is going to be a franchise quarterback,” Paton said. “But I mean, the challenges are still there. The needs are still there. The musts are still there. There’s always a challenge every offseason. And this is no different. And we’re going to have to have a really good offseason. …

“You always want to build, and we want to build the right way and build the best team around the quarterback. And that’s just our process moving forward. The best defense, the best special teams, the best offense, explosive elements, of course, we want to do that. But just build the best team around the quarterback.”

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.