'Bo Nix is the Safest Bet' of 2024 Draft Class as Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels Injured

Bo Nix is the safest bet of the 2024 draft class.

That, per Chris Simms today on Pro Football Talk.

Both Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels were injured this week, while Nix and Drake Maye remain standing only two weeks into the 2026 season.

Bo Nix is the Safest Bet of the 2024 Draft Class

Chris Simms is apparently very high on Bo Nix.

He also says Sean Payton is in love with what Nix does. And that the Broncos will sign him to a long-term contract extension.

"Bo Nix to me, what is the question?" Simms asked Mike Florio today. "I mean, playoffs every year. Yeah he hurt his foot [ankle] but I would be shocked [if they didn't extend him]. He might be the safest bet of all right now. I'm not saying you make him the highest paid quarterback in football but he's been pretty damn good.

"I don't know if there's much to question there. I think Sean Payton has a love affair for him and how he operates. Yeah, I expect that one [a long-term contract] to happen to, for sure."

Mike Florio responded, "I think it [the love affair] was tested after Week 1. He may have redeemed himself after Week 2 but I think it was tested after Week 1. It was Davis Webb, Bo Nix or both. It was the worst performance of Bo Nix's career. And there's a recency bias when it comes to valuing players and figuring out what you're going to do over the course of the future."

Florio's got a point. If we were asking about Nix getting $50-plus million a year after Week 1, the answer may have been "No way." But he played great in Week 2.

That's why we still don't 100% know if Bo Nix is the franchise quarterback. We need to wait and see what happens with this entire 2026 season, his third in the league.

But Simms is right, it's trending in a positive direction for Nix and the Broncos to extend him with a massive contract when his rookie deal runs out after 2027.

And in terms of the 2024 draft class, he's arguably the best of the group two weeks into their third seasons.

Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels Injured and Drake Maye has Regressed

Rewind to the 2024 NFL Draft and there were six quarterbacks taken in the first round.

Bo Nix was the last one, sixth behind Williams, Maye, Daniels, J.J. McCarthy, and Michael Penix.

Williams has been a bit of a media darling and many in the national media believe he's better than Nix. Daniels is dazzling when he can stay healthy, but he's now injured his left elbow for a second straight year. And Drake Maye, who was a front-runner for MVP last season, has seemingly regressed through two weeks of 2026.

It's been tough going for all three of them.

Williams looked to lead the Chicago Bears to a comeback win over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday but hurt his hamstring late in the pouring rain.

The Bears have said it's not a major injury and there's a very slight chance he could actually play in Week 3. They'll likely be cautious with him though, and he'll miss a few weeks.

Meanwhile, Daniels can't stay on the field. He's the best athlete of all the QBs taken in 2024, able to break off long runs even against NFL defenders. But after dislocating his left elbow last year, and re-injuring it in Week 14, he did it again in Week 2.

This time, he was just trying to brace himself from falling down.

Is Daniels body built to withstand the NFL? It's a legitimate question at this point. Some are wondering what his long-term future looks like at this point.

And then there's Maye, who's got a great deep ball but has no receivers to work with. That, partially because A.J. Brown got injured in Week 1.

After leading the league last year with a 113.5 passer rating, Maye is currently 31st among 32 qualifying quarterbacks with a 63.1 rating.

The stinker in Week 1 hasn't helped Nix's passer rating; he's 26th with an 83.9. Meanwhile Williams (92.0) and Daniels (90.3) are right around league average.

Maye's being brought down by his league-leading 4 interceptions thrown. That includes the three in the opening game of the NFL season, including the game-killer in the end zone that he didn't need to throw.

So, maybe Simms has a point.

As of right now, Nix looks like the safest bet going forward. Williams is second, Maye is third, and Daniels has to come in last because he can't stay healthy.

Week 3: Maye vs. Jaguars, Nix vs. Rams

This week, the Patriots (1-1) face the same Jaguars (1-1) the Broncos just beat. In Jacksonville.

Later on Sunday, the Broncos (1-1) have one of their toughest tests of the season in LA against the Rams (1-1) on Sunday Night Football.

Nix has a chance to continue to make a name for himself and put together a great game on national TV after embarrassing himself in Week 1 against the Chiefs.

Both the Rams and Broncos seemed to have found their footing in Week 2 and remembered how to play winning football.

Nix played fantastic in the second half against the Jaguars but struggled in the first half yet again. He'll likely need to put together a complete game to beat the Rams in LA.

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Rich Kurtzman was born and raised in Denver Colorado and attended Colorado State University in Fort Collins in the aughts. He's been a professional writer since 2011, covering Colorado State football and men's basketball, as well as the Denver Broncos, for many outlets. Current Denver Broncos work can be found on Mile High Sports. Previous credits include CBS Denver and The USA TODAY Sports Media Group.