Yes, he was the 6th QB taken and many said it was a big reach.
NFL.com, PFF, Walterfootball, all had him with a second round grade. Pete Prisco called the pick “desperation.”
But the point is that Payton didn’t have the #1 pick and a slam dunk QB when he selected Nix. We are picking 9th this year. We could easily be picking at least 12th in 2026 and take a QB prospect as good as Nix.