Skip to main content
All Sooners

Oklahoma's Nik Bonitto Drafted by the Denver Broncos

The first Sooner is off the board in the 2022 NFL Draft after Denver snagged the talented edge rusher.
Ryan Chapman|
Oklahoma's Nik Bonitto Drafted by the Denver Broncos
Oklahoma's Nik Bonitto Drafted by the Denver Broncos

Talented pass rusher Nik Bonitto is off the board.

The former OU edge rusher became the second Sooner to be selected in the 2022 NFL Draft when the Denver Broncos took him with the No. 64-overall pick on Friday night.

A former 4-star recruit, the 6-foot-3, 240-pound outside linebacker grew to be a key piece of the Oklahoma pass rush.

Bonitto redshirted in 2018, and played a limited role as a redshirt freshman in 2019.

But in 2020, the Fort Lauderdale, FL, product burst onto the scene.

Playing in 10 contests, Bonitto set career highs with 10.5 tackles for loss and eight quarterback sacks during the year.

Flying in to disrupt plays of the edge, Bonitto embodied the principles of Alex Grinch’s “Speed D”, blowing past offensive tackles to disrupt opponents in the backfield.

Throughout his final campaign in Norman, Bonitto continued to produce.

Last year, Bonitto posted a career high with 15.0 tackles for loss. Bonitto also ended his 2021 campaign with seven sacks, just one shy of his career mark that he set in 2020.

Across his four years in Norman, Bonitto racked up 117 career tackles, including 32 tackles for loss and 18.5 quarterback sacks.

In 2020, Bonitto was recognized as a second-team All-American by the Associated Press, and Pro Football Focus ranked the edge rusher as a first-team All-American.

Want to join the discussion? Click here to become a member of the AllSooners message board community today!

Sign up for your premium membership to AllSooners.com today, and get access to the entire Fan Nation premium network!

Follow AllSooners on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest OU news. 

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations

Published
Ryan Chapman
RYAN CHAPMAN

Ryan is co-publisher at Sooners On SI and covers a number of sports in and around Norman and Oklahoma City. Working both as a journalist and a sports talk radio host, Ryan has covered the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the United States Men’s National Soccer Team, the Oklahoma City Energy and more. Since 2019, Ryan has simultaneously pursued a career as both a writer and a sports talk radio host, working for the Flagship for Oklahoma sports, 107.7 The Franchise, as well as AllSooners.com. Ryan serves as a contributor to The Franchise’s website, TheFranchiseOK.com, which was recognized as having the “Best Website” in 2022 by the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters. Ryan holds an associate’s degree in Journalism from Oklahoma City Community College in Oklahoma City, OK. 

Share on XFollow _RyanChapman
Home/Football