Broncos make Bo Nix sixth QB picked in first round of NFL draft - ESPN

The Denver Broncos' decision-makers said over and over again in the weeks leading up to Thursday's first round of the NFL draft they would not «force'' a decision at quarterback.

Whether or not the Broncos indeed forced the issue remains to be seen, but what the Broncos did do is make history when they make Oregon's Bo Nix the sixth quarterback off the board Thursday night. Nix's selection tied the record of six quarterbacks selected in the first round, set in 1983 when Broncos Hall of Famer John Elway was the No. 1 pick of the draft (by the Baltimore Colts).

Nix was the highest the Broncos have selected a quarterback in the first round since they selected Jay Cutler at No. 11 in 2006.

»When you look at their scheme there's a lot of concepts, a lot of things I've run in the past,'' Nix said.

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Nix said he believed the Broncos had some interest in him during the pre-draft wind-up, but that «you never know until you get the phone call,'' Nix said.

»I'll be in a good situation to learn and grow,'' Nix added.

After saying they'd be willing to move up or move down in the first round if the right opportunity presented itself, the Broncos stayed put at No. 12, even as the quarterbacks came off the board at an unprecedented rate. When the Minnesota Vikings moved up from No. 11 to No. 10 to select Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy, the Broncos were faced with taking a skill position player, the highest-rated defensive player on their board or the sixth quarterback in Nix.

Nix, with his three seasons at Auburn and two at Oregon, was one of the most experienced players in the draft —