Good teams lock up good players more often than not, and the Denver Broncos just gave pass rusher Nik Bonitto a new deal that ensures he won't be going anywhere. The Jacksonville Jaguars could use a similar deal to lock up one of their building blocks.
Adam Schefter reported that Denver signed Bonitto to a contract extension worth up to $120 million with $70 million guaranteed. His annual average of $30 million ranks seventh among pass rushers in the NFL and surpasses Josh Hines-Allen's of $28.5 million.
At the time Hines-Allen inked his five-year $141.25 million deal, he was the second highest-paid pass rusher in the league, but salaries at the position have soared after T.J. Watt, Myles Garrett, and Micah Parsons got their extensions. That said, Bonitto's deal could be used as a baseline for the deal the Jags will offer to Travon Walker
Related: 3 predictions so bold and crazy they may just become true
The Jaguars could give Travon Walker a deal similar to Nik Bonitto's
A second-round draft pick in 2022, Nick Bonitto has quickly become a defensive mainstay for the Denver Broncos, logging a combined 23.5 sacks the past three years. The Broncos probably didn't want to wait any longer to extend him precisely because his rates will only go up if he has another banner year.
The Oklahoma product had 16.5 sacks last year, and nothing is impeding him from having yet another banner season in 2025. Similarly, Travon Walker is in a position to post career numbers.
The first overall pick in 2022, Walker had a quiet rookie campaign but has logged 10.5 sacks each of the past two years. Having lost weight after bulking up last year, he's expected to make a leap under defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile.
Like Bonitto, Walker is already eligible for a new deal. The difference is that he had a fifth-year option on his rookie deal because he was drafted in the first round, and the Jaguars didn't hesitate to pick it up. Now, his contract runs through 2026, and there are different ways the team's brass could handle this situation.
The Jaguars could get ahead of the curve and extend Walker now. They could also wait until his contract expires and apply the franchise tag on him in 2027. The issue with that approach is that — as they found out with Josh Hines-Allen — they'll have to pay more.
Neither Travon Walker nor Nik Bonitto is in the same echelon as Micah Parsons or Myles Garrett. That's why the contract the latter got from the Broncos provides a glimpse of the kind of contract the former could get in Jacksonville. Of course, the longer the Jags wait to give him an extension, the more they'll have to fork out. Maybe they should follow the Broncos' example and take care of business.
Here are other Jaguars stories you may also like: