Oregon Quarterback Bo Nix was not invited to be at the 2024 NFL Draft selection show this week in Detroit. The Associated Press mock draft did not project him to be picked in the first round.
And Beaver Taliese Fuaga was expected to be the highest pick from Oregon State.
AP prognosticators got one of those projections correct: Fuaga was selected as the No. 14 overall pick by the New Orleans Saints.
And Nix? Nix was chosen as the No. 12 overall pick by the Denver Broncos.
With the selection, Nix became the seventh Duck QB ever to be drafted in the first round.
A Heisman Trophy finalist and the Pac-12’s offensive player of the year, Nix led the nation in passing touchdowns for the 2023 season. He set a new NCAA single-season record with an impressive 77.45 completion percentage.
The 24-year-old Nix also set several Oregon single-season records for the Ducks in completions, passing yards and passing touchdowns, while becoming the first Duck ever to surpass 4,500 passing yards in a season.
OSU’s Fuaga is the first Beaver offensive lineman to be selected in the first round of the draft, and the first Oregon State player to be selected in the first round since Brandin Cooks was drafted 20th overall by New Orleans in 2014.
A Tacoma, Washington, native, Fuaga was a 2023 First-Team All-American by the FWAA, CBS Sports, ESPN, Pro Football Focus and Phil Steele. He is in the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame. Fuaga played in 39 career games for the Beavers, and was a two-time All-Pac-12 selection, earning first-team honors in 2023.
The Pac-12 was well-represented in the first round with eight players being selected. This was the best showing for the conference since 2015 when nine players heard their names in Round 1.
USC’s Caleb Williams was the No. 1 pick, going to Chicago. University of Washington’s Michael Penix JR. (No. 8: Atlanta), Rome Odunze (No. 9: Chicago), and Troy Fautanu (No. 20: Pittsburgh), also went in the first round, as did UCLA’s Laiatu Lutu (No. 15: Indianapolis) and Arizona’s Jordan Morgan (No. 25: Green Bay).
Ducks Jackson Power-Johnson and Troy Franklin were expected to be taken in the first round, but their names did not get called.
The NFL Draft continues Friday in Detroit.
UPDATE: In later rounds of the draft, six additional Ducks and two more Beavers were selected.
From Oregon: Jackson Powers-Johnson (No.44: Las Vegas), Troy Franklin (No. 102: Denver), Khyree Jackson (No. 108: Minnesota), Brandon Dorlus (No.109: Atlanta), Evan Williams (No. 111: Green Bay), Bucky Irving (No. 125: Tampa Bay), and Jamal Hill (No. 188: Houston).
From Oregon State: Anthony Gould (No. 142: Indianapolis) and Kitan Oladapo (No. 169: Green Bay).
