The Los Angeles Rams have been frequently connected to top quarterback prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft during the pre-draft process. Just days before Los Angeles is put on the clock, an intriguing connection has emerged between the team and one of this year’s top signal-callers.
Holding the 19th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft order, Los Angeles is well out of range to land one of the best quarterback prospects in this class. While picking one of Caleb Williams, Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels is out of the picture, the team has been linked to other young passers.
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Washington Huskies quarterback Michael Penix Jr. has popped up in multiple NFL mock drafts as a selection for Los Angeles. Taking the Heisman Trophy finalist would likely require investing a first-round pick. Given the number of Rams draft needs in 2024, that’s unlikely to happen.
Los Angeles has also been linked to South Carolina Gamecocks quarterback Spencer Rattler. Projected to be a Day 2 pick. While Rattler is far from a finished product in terms of his NFL projection, he could be an ideal developmental project behind the scenes for Sean McVay in 2024. However, there’s another top signal-caller that the Rams’ front office has a unique connection with.
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Just days shy of the 2024 NFL Draft, ESPN NFL reporter Adam Schefter revealed that Rams’ general manager Les Snead has a long-time connection to quarterback prospect Bo Nix.
“Snead was a graduate assistant coach at Auburn in 1993, when the school’s quarterback was Patrick Nix, Bo’s father. Patrick helped lead Auburn to an 11-0 record as a sophomore that season. Snead could go from watching one Nix make a mark on a team he was associated with early in his career to another Nix trying to make a mark on his team years later.”
Adam Schefter on the Los Angeles Rams’ ties to Oregon Ducks QB Bo Nix
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Is Bo Nix a fit for the Rams?
Nix does offer plenty of intriguing qualities. He’s a very accurate passer and a quick decision-maker, traits that would be very appealing to McVay’s system. He’s also an above-average athlete for his experience and his years of experience – NCAA record for most starts by a quarterback (61) – make him a favorite among NFL coaches. He also checked a lot of boxes statistically in key situations last season.
- Bo Nix stats 2023: 77.4% completion, 4,508 passing yards, 45-3 TD-INT, 234 rushing yards, 6 TDs
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Bo Nix stats – Advanced statistics in key situations
| Situation | Completion Rate | YPA | TD-INT | NFL QB rating |
| vs Pressure | 67.2% (1st in FBS) | 9.7 (5th) | 9-1 | 131.4 (1st) |
| vs Blitz | 68% (9th) | 9.2 (21st) | 21-0 | 136.5 (3rd) |
| on Deep Passes | 51% (6th in FBS) | 19.6 (4th) | 13-2 | 119.9 (12th) |
However, similar to both Rattler and Penix Jr., Nix will be 24 years old in his rookie season. For comparison, that’s already the same age as Zach Wilson and Trevor Lawrence heading into their fourth seasons.
That’s not a disqualifier by any means, but age is factored into upside and NFL projections. By the time Nix finished his rookie contract, with his first season spent backing up Matthew Stafford and Jimmy Garoppolo, he would be 28 years old. Unless Nix slides to the 52nd overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, it seems unlikely his connection to Snead will make him one of the Rams draft picks in 2024.
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