Broncos Select Oklahoma DE Nik Bonitto at No. 64 Overall

Denver used its top 2022 draft pick on defense.

They say all good things come to those who wait, and in the Broncos’ case, their first selection came in the second round of this year’s 2022 NFL Draft.

On Friday, Denver GM George Paton selected Oklahoma EDGE Nik Bonitto with the No. 64 overall pick that was originally acquired in the Von Miller trade with the Rams last fall.

The six-foot-three, 248-pound pass rusher was a four-star recruit coming out of high school, with offers from Texas and Louisville. As a true freshman, Bonitto played in three games before being designated as a redshirt outside linebacker in Oklahoma’s 3-4 defensive scheme. He played in 36 career games for the Sooners and recorded 118 tackles (69 solo), 33 tackles for a loss, 19.5 sacks, seven passes defensed, one interception, one forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries.

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Bonitto’s production and level of play earned him second-team All-American honors in 2020 and third-team All-American honors in 2021, in addition to being a two-time second-team All-Big 12 selection.

In the modern NFL, he’s viewed as an undersized EDGE defender, but what he lacks in size he makes up for with pass-rushing ability. Film study reveals a twitchy and explosive player when engaging offensive linemen on the line of scrimmage with an above-average level of bend in his game. In college, Bonitto’s raw athleticism made up for some lack of hand technique but the instinctual aspect of finding the ball carrier is what stands out about his game.

Denver’s newest pass rusher enters a room with former first-round pick Bradley Chubb, who’s returning from ankle surgery performed last season, as well as prized free agent EDGE Randy Gregory, whose availability is unknown after he recently underwent surgery for a shoulder injury this spring. Not to mention fourth-year pass rusher Malik Reed, who signed his RFA tender earlier this month, and Jonathon Cooper, who was drafted in the seventh round last year.

The NFL waits for no one, and there’s an immediate need to deploy pass rushers to sack the AFC West’s elite QBs.

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