Broncos New Pass-Rush Coach Airs Thoughts on Nik Bonitto's Outlook

Jamar Cain was hired earlier this year to serve as the Denver Broncos' pass-rush coaching specialist on Sean Payton's new staff after several different stops in the collegiate ranks. Along Cain's winding road to coaching in the pros, he spent time tutoring Denver's highly-touted rush linebacker Nik Bonitto at Oklahoma.

That level of familiarity might prove advantageous as the Broncos look to continue Bonitto's development as a 2022 second-round draft pick. As with any young player developing in the NFL, Cain sees confidence as the precious commodity to unlocking Bonitto's potential.

“He’s just got to get stronger, and just like with anybody, it’s confidence,” Cain said of Bonitto, per The Athletic's Nick Kosmider. “Once his confidence takes off, he’ll be fine. For him, it’s a comfort-zone thing seeing me back in the building with him. He’s getting more comfortable in his role.”

While helping a young player build confidence is easier said than done, Cain sounds excited to rekindle his coaching relationship with Bonitto because he feels the young pass rusher can take the next step in the pro ranks.

“It’s good to be back with him, you know, because he and I got to have a long history together. I was with him at Oklahoma, I was his position coach at Oklahoma,” Cain said. “But, just to be back with him and see him mature and see him take the next level. Because I knew him as a college player, and now I see him as a pro – it’s been fun to see his growth. Just maturity level, just maturity, that’s it. He still has a lot of growth to do, but he’s working on it and he’s going to be a good player.”

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Bonitto is joined on the roster by another young pass-rushing prospect in Baron Browning, but he will have to overcome the unfortunate injury bug which has slowed his progress entering Year 3. Despite Browning’s bad luck, Cain is high on the skill set the converted inside linebacker brings to the table as an explosive edge rusher.

“Just an explosive player – just a very explosive player who plays the right way,” Cain said of Browning. “He’s played linebacker, he’s played on the outside last year, so just see his growth – excited to get him back to.”

The Broncos' edge group will be led by Randy Gregory and recent free agency addition Frank Clark when you consider both the experience and the relative dollars invested in the two veterans. Gregory's physical traits make coaches salivate, and Cain is no exception.

“Just excited to get him out there, put my hands on him more and work with him because he’s a freak athlete,” Cain said of Gregory. “Continue to work on little nuances for him within the game – work on his hands, his feet, and his eyes and all that stuff together.”

For now, question marks will clearly remain over Gregory's ability to stay healthy for the duration of an entire 17-game season. When you couple that with the youth and inexperience that lies further down the depth chart, Payton's move to add Clark's proven credentials makes perfect sense.

It gives Coach Cain another established force on the edge who adds some serious Super Bowl-winning chops to Denver's mix of depth and experience.

“Just depth – like in this league, you gotta, in any league really, especially in college and here now, you have got to have enough - you can’t have enough pass rushers,” Cain said. “So just to get another pass rusher who has got playoff experience, who’s won at the highest level, and just to add him to the group is going to be fun.”

Cain’s overview of Denver's pass-rushing puzzle pieces glossed over the presence of Jonathon Cooper, but he's a player that Coach Payton stressed the importance of during OTAs. At 42 years old, Cain is another younger presence on a diverse Broncos coaching staff, whom Payton is heavily relying on to help the edge rusher room reach its potential.

Cain will work in tandem with Broncos outside linebackers coach Michael Wilhoite and D-line coach Marcus Dixon to help the front-seven players perfect their pass-rushing craft. Stay tuned.

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