Nik Bonitto Bolsters Broncos' Pursuit of AFC West Crown

The Broncos hope Nik Bonitto's arrival helps cultivate a symbiotic balance between the offense and defense.

The Denver Broncos’ first draft pick of 2022, Nik Bonitto, is listed at 6-foot-3 and 248 pounds, but he looks smaller. He’s a loose-hipped, elusive pass rusher with a bend similar to Von Miller’s and finished first in pass rush wins in 2020.

Nathaniel Hackett is a first-time head coach who has a clear belief about pass rushers. 

“This game is about how the quarterback plays and how you affect the quarterback. The end," Hackett said. “I think you can never have enough people to rush the passer."

Although Bonitto is a fine pass rusher, Hackett’s first pick in the 2022 draft was a head-scratcher for some. Pass rusher credentials are first-rate, but Bonitto's run defense is a glaring weakness. 

Broncos' defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero has already reminded Bonitto that developing his run defense is his first priority for this summer. But Nik’s already a pursuit specialist.

Bob Lilly, the six-time All-NFL and Hall-of-Fame right tackle, considered a team’s degree of pursuit to be a barometer of its desire. 

“All good defenses have good pursuit,” Lilly once told sportswriter Paul Zimmerman. “Every player can get beat on a play, but pursuit keeps the 40-yarder to 15, holds a TD to a field goal.”

50 years later, he’s still right.

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Coach Hackett has been upfront as to his philosophy of pursuit. He wants to count on new Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson to get the lead. 

After achieving that, Hackett wants to send wave after wave of pass rushers after the opposing QB. He has six dedicated pass rushers ready in three waves: Bradley Chubb and Gregory; Bonitto and Malik Reed; Jonathon Cooper and Baron Browning.

Hackett also has the pass-rush skills of D.J. Jones (seven career sacks), Dre’Mont Jones, (15.5 career sacks), and his new addition: former Iowa State defensive end Eyioma Uwazurike, who put nine sacks into the books last year, along with 12 tackles for a loss and six QB hurries. Coach Hackett loves QB pressure from every position.

The idea of getting and holding the lead is a classic discussion in the coaching ranks. Bill Parcells was famous for his early decisions — sometimes in the first quarter — to get just a one-touchdown lead and milk it for the next three quarters. Given his skill at defense, it often worked.

Coach Hackett has a far better approach. There will be no 20-point average scoring for this year’s Broncos. With Wilson’s ability as a passer, the Broncos' receivers group, and running backs Javonte Williams and Melvin Gordon returning, the offense’s game is on track to produce copious points.

The offensive line is being remodeled to both protect Wilson and achieve increased success in the run game. Quinn ‘The Belly’ Meinerz has taken over right guard and can play some center. Graham Glasgow might have first dibs on the center position after Lloyd Cushenberry III failed to produce in his first two seasons and can play guard. 

There are several potential solutions at right tackle — Billy Turner, Tom Compton, Calvin Anderson, and others are ready to compete for the honor of defending the left-handed Wilson’s blind right side. It’s a better look than the Broncos had in 2021, and Netane Muti, Quinn Bailey, the rookie Luke Wattenberg, and others are ready in the wings.

Bonitto’s run defense weakness can be lessened schematically if Denver so desires. In the 1960s, the strongside and weakside rotating zone defenses ran a safety up to set the edge and dropped a defensive end (or linebacker) back to cover the tight end. A similar approach might run up Kareem Jackson — or fifth-round rookie safety Delarrin Turner-Yell — to set the edge and let Bonitto fly.

There are a dozen ways to compensate for a certain player’s weakness. The best of them is to have the player fix it, but that will take time. In the meantime, there are plenty of schematic options.

Taking a commanding lead, running the rock, and sending waves of pass rushers until the opponent’s O-line drops and its QB gets antsy is a viable option. The Broncos' new-look secondary should be a big help in that regard. 

That’s why GM George Paton’s first draft choice of 2021 was Patrick Surtain II, who looks like he will develop into a modern version of Champ Bailey. Ronald Darby and K’waun Williams are also solid players, and fourth-round rookie corner Damarri Mathis looks like he’ll soon be a viable depth option as well.

Wilson’s rare gifts with the deep pass should provide Denver with multiple leads. When you have the kind of weapons the Broncos have, you can do a lot with your offense.

Pursuit — rushing the passer in waves — is clearly the Broncos’ prime priority in a division with quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert, and Derek Carr. Finding ways to keep those QBs off-balance and minimize the damage they will undoubtedly do is plainly job No. 1.

Pursuit of the QB is the pursuit of the division title and the playoffs that beckon afterward. In defense, pursuit is the name of the game. 

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