In the second round of the 2022 NFL draft, the Denver Broncos picked pass rusher Nik Bonitto from Oklahoma. Despite having an underwhelming rookie season with only three quarterback hits and 1.5 sacks in 15 games, Bonitto showed significant improvement in his second year.
Coach Sean Payton recognized Bonitto’s progress and attributed it to the increased opportunities he received in his second year. Payton mentioned that Bonitto saw more playing time snaps, which contributed to his growth from Year 1 to Year 2. In his second season, Bonitto recorded 20 quarterback hits and eight sacks in 15 games.
During his rookie season, Bonitto had 357 snaps, which increased to 524 snaps in his second year. He played 35% of the defensive snaps in 2022 and that number increased to 52% in 2023. Overall, Bonitto proved to be a productive pass rusher and is now expected to have an even larger role in the upcoming 2024 season.
With the Broncos investing a second-round pick in Bonitto, they are looking for him to continue improving and potentially reach double-digit sacks in the future. Bonitto’s development will be important for the team’s success, and fans will be eagerly watching to see if he can meet those expectations in his third year.
