Broncos Player Profile: Nik Bonitto #42 | Outside Linebacker
The 2021 Denver Broncos struggled to get after the quarterback. You have to be able to do that in the modern NFL, and Broncos GM George Paton and head coach Nathaniel Hackett threw their darts to bring about improvement.
After signing Randy Gregory to a big free-agent deal worth $70 million, the Broncos used their first draft pick, the 64th overall selection, on Nik Bonitto, an edge rusher out of Oklahoma.
What does the future hold for Bonitto? Let's dive into his resume to find out.
Biography
Bonitto will turn 23 in September. He was born and raised in Florida and, as a four-star recruit, chose Oklahoma over other offers.
College Career
Playing 1,388 snaps over four years, with all but 36 coming in the final three, Bonitto had a productive college career. He picked up 122 pressures and 19 sacks on 584 pass rush snaps.
Additionally, Bonitto added 69 stops and missed 20 tackles during his time in college. There is no denying his athleticism, twitchiness, and production, but there were still plenty of questions about his transition to the NFL.
There were multiple occasions where Bonitto would struggle to get off blocks, especially from stronger and longer offensive tackles. His game against TCU made those issues abundantly clear as it was a consistent problem in that game. And that wasn't the only game where it popped up.
Another concern was the slanting front Oklahoma used and how that can drive production up. But, again, those were serious concerns and ones voiced by the Broncos' decision-makers after they drafted Bonitto as they highlighted those as areas for improvement.
Draft
At the NFL Scouting Combine, Bonitto made his athleticism and twitchiness clear. As a result, many were high on him, and some believed, including the Broncos, that he would go before the 64th pick.
When the Broncos were on the clock at pick No. 64 and Bonitto was still there, the excitement was apparent in the room when the selection was announced.
2022 Outlook
Health-willing, Gregory and Bradley Chubb are set to be the starters at the rush linebacker position. Bonitto is one of the critical backups and should still see a reasonable amount of time on the field.
Bonitto offers up good ability as a pass rusher with his athleticism, which could benefit defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero and creative pass-rush packages. Bonitto also has some solid movement ability to drop into coverage and try to catch quarterbacks off-guard.
At the very least, Bonitto should help bolster a weak pass-rush unit as a pass-rush specialist as a rookie. Beyond his rookie year, he has to get stronger, improve his play against the run, and improve his ability to get off blocks more consistently.
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