49ers Draft Pursuit: Oklahoma Edge Rusher Nik Bonitto
Meet The Player:
- Nik Bonitto, EDGE, 6 foot 3, 240lb, Redshirt Jr Oklahoma Sooners
2021 Key Stats:
7 Sacks, 1 Forced Fumble, 39 Tackles (15 for loss)
Strengths:
Bonitto has great instincts and is very versatile. You often see him doing more than simply rushing the passer. He will take backs out of the backfield in man to man situations, drop back into zone coverage and spy the quarterback. He has a high motor, clearly loves the pursuit and never takes plays off. A coach's dream for showing full effort at all times, he tracks extremely well in the run game, sets a fantastic edge and works his way down the line until the play is finished.
Weaknesses:
Bonitto plays primarily standing up. Although this isn't a player weakness, being that we are looking for players who fit the scheme of the San Francisco 49ers, he isn't necessarily a perfect plug and play for them. He is better suited for outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense. I do however believe with Kris Kocurek the 49ers can easily turn a perceived negative into a positive quickly. Bonitto does have a tough time disengaging when offensive linemen get a ahold of him. Lastly something that showed up repeatedly on film is over pursuing and getting pushed out of plays. Bonitto often tries to win with pure speed, beating lineman around the edge which makes it easy to be erased from a play when caught at the back end of a players kick slide.
Final Thoughts:
I believe the 49ers could benefit from a player such as Bonitto. Someone with his versatility could make it easy for DeMeco Ryans to disguise things pre snap. With mobile quarterbacks being a part of today's game, having a player who sets the edge and pursues as well as Nik does can be very beneficial to the 49ers defense long term. Keep an eye on him as the draft process moves along.
