Steelers' Mike Tomlin Looks To Jumpstart 2024 Draft Process; Meets With QB Bo Nix

Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin has become a huge topic of conversation among Steeler Nation during Senior Bowl coverage down in Mobile, Alabama. Every year, he is seen in close contact with numerous prospects during the event. The Senior Bowl allows coaches and talent evaluators from around the league to have an opportunity to see the best draft-eligible players in college football up close and personal. 

Most of the news and clips being released so far this week shows Tomlin watching and speaking with offensive line prospects. There are plenty of reasons for that. The Steelers desperately need to retool their group up front if they want to compete in a loaded AFC. However, Tomlin was also interested in meeting a prospect who plays another critical position on offense: quarterback.

On Tuesday, Tomlin was featured in a video put out by the Auburn Tigers section of AL.com. The clip shows Tomlin walking up and having a brief conversation with top quarterback prospect Bo Nix during the first of three Senior Bowl practices leading up to the game on Saturday at 1:00pm ET. With most of the fan base and national media focusing on the Steelers drafting an offensive lineman, maybe Tomlin has a different thought process.

Steelers' Prospect Bo Nix Has Had Quite The Journey

Nix, originally from Pinson, Alabama, was a highly touted Five Star prospect before committing to Auburn. He initially burst onto the scene, becoming the first true freshman quarterback to start a season opener for Auburn since 1946. Not only did he start, but he also led the Tigers down the field and threw a game-winning touchdown with :09 left on the clock to defeat #11 Oregon to open the season. In his freshman campaign, Nix set Auburn freshman records for completions, passing yards, and passing touchdowns. In total, Nix passed for 2,542 yards with 16 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. This led to Nix being named 2019 SEC Freshman of the Year and being regarded as one of the top returning quarterbacks in college football going into the 2020 season.

The next two seasons were not kind to Nix, as he regressed in all aspects of his game. His passing yards and touchdowns fell each of the next two years and he missed the end of the 2021 season with a shoulder injury. Nix was now being talked about as a bust and decided to enter the transfer portal to attempt to save his career. 

A Change Was Just What Nix Needed

After a stint in the transfer portal, Nix committed to the University of Oregon. This decision was met with criticism as Oregon is known for their prolific passing offense and Nix was coming off back-to-back down years. But, something clicked, and clicked quickly. 

In his first season at Oregon, Nix accounted for 4,103 total yards of offense and 315.6 total yards per game. That included 3,593 yards passing and 546 yards rushing, with 29 passing touchdowns, and another 15 on the ground. This new system showcased Nix as more of a pure passer than he was at Auburn and he excelled. Nix improved his accuracy. At Auburn, his career passing percentage was 59.5%. In his first year at Oregon, he completed 71.9% of his passes. That was a drastic improvement, but was nothing compared to what was next. 

Senior Year Star

Box Nix took the college football world by storm his senior year. Nix lit up the scoreboards by passing for 4,508 yards and 45 touchdowns. The best part, Nix only threw 3 interceptions. That is quite the ratio that will turn the heads of talent evaluators. He also improved his completion percentage yet again by completing 77.4% of his passes, which is an Oregon school record. 

Nix was named a Heisman Trophy Finalist and even won the William V Campbell Trophy, which is awarded to the college football player with the best combination of academics, community service, and on-field performance. That is an award that truly showcases a player's character and would shut down any potential character concerns. These stats are even more impressive when you realize that the Pac-12 was absolutely loaded this year, so Nix was facing top competition every week. 

The downside is that Nix will be 24 years old by the draft. There is always less patience for the more experienced quarterbacks when they reach the NFL. Nix is actually the most experienced college quarterback ever, holding the NCAA record with 60 career starts. The positive of that is that he should be more polished and mature than a typical 20-21-year-old college prospect.

What do you think, Steeler Nation? Should Nix be a top target for Tomlin and company? Comment below.

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