During his “4th & 1″ podcast on Wednesday night, former Auburn All-American and NFL MVP Cam Newton gave his take on the six quarterbacks who’ve been projected as first-round possibilities in the NFL Draft on Thursday night.
When he got to his evaluation of Oregon quarterback Bo Nix, Newton said: “It’s a little personal to me.”
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And not just because Nix played at Auburn, too. Nix also played in Newton’s seven-on-seven youth program.
“Obviously, Bo Nix came through C1N,” Newton said. “I know Bo. I know his family.”
Newton’s short take on Nix: “I think he’ll be a steal in the draft – big steal.”
But that didn’t mean Newton didn’t have concerns about Nix.
“I look at Bo as (San Francisco 49ers quarterback) Brock Purdy,” Newton said. “Brock is extremely skillful. He’s a grinder. …
“When I look at him, he’s extremely talented when things are good. When everything’s going good, I will pick Bo Nix over everybody – listen to me – because I seen it. When I watched Oregon this year, when I watched him even at Auburn, when things were good, there was nobody better than Bo Nix.
“Now this is the kicker: When adversity came into play, there was nobody worser than Bo Nix, too. That’s one thing this game is going to bring to you as a player. You’re going to be faced with adversity – physical adversity or emotional adversity. Can he get out of his own head?
“Has all the upside. Can make every single throw. I know, and I will say it again, there’s no better quarterback in the draft when in rhythm than Bo Nix. It’s like when he’s hot he’s hot, but when he’s cold, (expletive), he cold.”
Newton said he hoped Nix would be drafted by a team that would pair him with a veteran backup.
“To have the answers to his questions – the preparation, the leadership capabilities, knowing how to lead and be effective inside the pocket and outside the pocket as well, too,” Newton said.
Nix led Pinson Valley High School to the AHSAA Class 6A championships in 2017 and 2018. In his senior season, Nix won the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s Mr. Football Award and Class 6A Back of the Year honor.
In three seasons at Auburn, Nix threw for 7,251 yards and 39 touchdowns and ran for 18 more scores. In two seasons at Oregon, Nix threw for 8,101 yards and 74 touchdowns and ran for 20 more scores.
On the presumed No. 1 pick, Southern Cal’s Caleb Williams, Newton said his concern was the weight of the mantle that comes with the honor.
“It’s a heavy load, and you have to be mentally strong to endure that,” Newton said. “… When you go through that fire are you going to melt?”
The Carolina Panthers chose Newton at No. 1 in the 2011 NFL Draft. Newton said because head coach Ron Rivera, quarterbacks coach Mike Shula and other members of the staff made it clear he could be himself, he had an easier time dealing with that.
Newton said he thinks North Carolina’s Drake Maye “has the biggest upside of any quarterback in the draft.” But Newton was concerned by the results of Maye’s college production.
“If you give Drake Maye Michael Penix’s resume, Drake Maye is easily, easily the No. 1 pick,” Newton said.
The Washington quarterback, Penix got tabbed as “the darkhorse in the draft at the quarterback position” by Newton. But he thinks the left-hander will need to be drafted into “a perfect situation” to be able to hit the ground running in the NFL.
Penix and Washington lost to J.J. McCarthy and Michigan 34-13 in the CFP national-championship game on Jan. 8.
“I think a team will take a risk on him because of his resume,” Newton said of McCarthy. “He’s a proven winner, but I don’t think they won because of him. They didn’t lose because of him either.”
Newton said his red flag for McCarthy was his passing production.
Newton pegged LSU’s Jayden Daniels below Williams and Maye, but above Nix, McCarthy and Penix.
“He can hurt you in many different ways,” Newton said. “My biggest concern is: Does the game translate for him?”
The 89th NFL Draft starts at 7 p.m. CDT Thursday in Detroit.
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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.