In the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos selected Oklahoma edge rusher Nik Bonitto with their 64th overall selection. Expectations were high on the young pass rusher; however, his rookie year would be a struggle. He would only total 1.5 sacks and struggle against the run, which, as a result, had some fans calling the Broncos’ young pass rusher a bust. However, in year two under newly hired defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, Bonitto would explode for 8 sacks and show the potential that General Manager George Paton saw when he drafted him.
In year three is when things really took off for Bonitto. He would become a key part of the Broncos defense and be their top pass rusher on the team. In 2024, he totaled 13.5 sacks, had two defensive touchdowns, and was in the Defensive Player of the Year conversation with his teammate Pat Surtain II, who would eventually win the award. The expectations for Bonitto were high in 2025 after this performance, and on top of that, he was entering the final year of his rookie deal and was due a large payday. The Broncos’ office did not wait long to lock up their star pass rusher, and the two sides agreed to a four-year extension worth up to $120 million before the start of the season.
Bonitto would reward the Broncos with a career-high 14-sack performance plus an additional sack and 2 forced fumbles during the team’s postseason run. He has established himself as the Broncos’ top pass rusher and put himself in the conversation as one of the best all-around edge rushers in the NFL right now.
Now, he enters year five with the Broncos looking to improve on his 14-sack performance in 2025 and lead the Broncos’ pass rush that has led the NFL in sacks in back-to-back seasons.
Player Profile
Nik Bonitto | Edge Rusher | Denver Broncos
Height: 6-3
Weight: 240 pounds
Age: 26 years old
Experience: 5th NFL season
2025 stats: Appeared in 16 games and totaled 46 tackles, 14 tackles for a loss, 14 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and 1 very important game-winning pass deflection. He also had 1 sack and 2 forced fumbles for the Broncos in the playoffs.
Nik Bonitto’s 2026 outlook with the Denver Broncos
Bonitto will be the Broncos’ top pass rusher once again and a key member of their top-ranked defense, which has led the NFL in sacks in back-to-back seasons. Throughout his career, he has improved his sack number from the previous year and will look to top 14 sacks this upcoming season for the Broncos.
With the Broncos having Super Bowl aspirations and Jonathon Cooper currently dealing with some off-the-field legal issues, Bonitto will need to step up and really lead this edge rushing group. He will likely be paired with young players like Jonah Elliss and Que Robinson, and he will need to continue to help those young pass rushers grow into star players like he is today.
Last season, after Bonitto signed his four-year extension with the Broncos, head coach Sean Payton told reporters that Bonitto’s superpower is his “get off and bend” and praised his growth as a player during his time with the team.
“Great question. His superpower is his get off, his bend. When I first got here, it was a room with a lot of different players. So it took a minute for us to sort through how we wanted to handle the depth at that room, who was going to be a part of it and then who wasn’t going to be a part of it. It was important coming in—and I learned this from [Pro Football Hall of Fame Coach] Bill [Parcells]—to come in and don’t prejudge. Allow them to show you. There are a lot of players on that team that’ll be part of a championship and want to be a part of the right culture. You can’t try to predict that, just let them show. I’ve seen him grow just as a leader, maturity. He’s a young player coming into this league, but it’s great to see the confidence he’s playing with, and I’m excited he’s with us now for quite a while.”
If Bonitto and the Broncos defense can once again lead the NFL in sacks for a third straight season and he can improve on his 14 sacks from last season, he will be in the conversation for Defensive Player of the Year once again. He has shown he can be a difference-making disruptor as a pass rusher, sack specialist, and turnover-creating monster, and if he can improve on all that, he could be on the verge of a big season for the Broncos.
Final Thoughts
I love me some Nik Bonitto.
He has elite get-off, bend, explosion, and can blow by blockers to get after the quarterback quickly. We have seen him do it against some of the best in the NFL, and I am confident we will see an even better Nik Bonitto this upcoming season.
The Broncos pass rush will look a little different this season with John Franklin-Myers signing with the Titans and Jonathon Cooper’s future up in the air, but Bonitto is a constant and will make everyone around him better. I am looking for 15+ sacks for Bonitto in 2026 and be a big reason why the Broncos defense will lead the NFL in sacks for a third straight season.