Nik

Bonitto

The Broncos opened Dulcich’s 21-day window for return earlier in the week but won’t be activating him before Saturday’s contest against the Lions. The second-year tight end has dealt with injuries all season and has appeared in only two games for the Broncos this season. We’ll see if he’s able to get on the field in Week 16 when the Broncos take on the Patriots. In addition to Dulcich, the Broncos also ruled out LB Nick Bonitto (knee).

Bonitto exited Sunday’s contest against the Chargers in the first quarter and did not return. He was spotted in a brace after the game and could be looking at missing some time, depending on the severity of the injury. We’ll likely know more about his injury in the coming days, but for now, the Broncos could be forced to play without their sack leader in Week 15 against the Lions.

Hamler was ruled out on Friday and didn’t look particularly close to playing, but Nathaniel Hackett said the team was trying to avoid a setback in comments later that day. Tyrie Cleveland projects as Denver’s No. 3 wideout, but it should just serve to narrow the passing game options for Russell Wilson against the Texans. Also inactive for Denver are WR Jalen Virgil, OLB Nik Bonitto, LB Josey Jewell, OT Billy Turner, G Quinn Meinerz, and DL Eyioma Uwazurike. Randy Gregory (shoulder/knee) is active.

An accomplished two-sport athlete who received several scholarship offers for basketball, Bonitto (6’3/248) chose to eschew hardwood glory to pursue a career on the gridiron. It proved to be a prescient decision as he was the only player in the nation who recorded back-to-back seasons with a PFF pass-rush grade of 90.0 or more while generating a superb 22.4 percent win rate in that span. His 11.1 percent pressure rate was tops in the nation last year. Bonitto has elite speed and agility that was backed up by an impressive Combine, where he tested at an 85th-percentile level or better in every single test except for the bench, adding up to an elite 9.37 relative athletic score. He gets off the line quickly with a smooth shoulder dip and will bait opposing tackles with a slide step right off the snap that leaves blockers whiffing on contact. Bonitto has enough pop in his hands to keep opponents honest but is undersized against the run and prefers to go around blocks than take them on. Best suited as a 3-4 OLB, he has all the tools to be a pocket-wrecking edge in the mold of Giants LB Aziz Ojulari but could stand to add some size.

Buffalo signed EDGE Von Miller this offseason, but could still add more defensive studs via the draft. Of this group, Winfrey is the highest touted player, and added to his hype during Senior Bowl week. He has been mocked to the first round by some analysts, and NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah ranked him as the 45th best player in this year’s draft. Both Bonitto and Asamoah are projected Day 2 picks.

There are some great pass rushers in this year’s draft, and you will see quite a few taken in the first round. Teams that want to address other needs in the first round should look to take Bonitto (6'3/240) later in the draft. He was a three-year starter at Oklahoma and in his final season, he finished with 39 tackles, seven sacks, and one forced fumble while also producing the highest pass-rush win rate in all of College Football. His combine numbers should have the scout’s attention with a 4.54 40-yard dash and an NFL Next Gen Prospect Grade of 6.33. He’s someone teams should be eyeing as a Day 2 pickup.

“Bonitto didn’t make my preseason Big Board, but I might have to add him in the next update,” Kiper wrote. Bonitto had two sacks and three TFL in Saturday’s win over Nebraska. Bonitto is “a stellar speed rusher who creates disruption while being lined up outside or inside,” Kiper wrote. “He reacts well to quarterbacks trying to misdirect him, and he’ll even drop into coverage at times.” Bonitto had 8.5 sacks last year and is on pace to top that number this fall. “I’d like to see him get a little stronger -- he’s not going to overpower offensive tackles -- but the arrow is definitely pointing up, and NFL teams covet edge rushers,” Kiper wrote.

Bonitto (6'3/238) was a tenacious pass rusher last year, creating 49 pressures on 186 passing snaps and earning a stellar 93.6 pass rushing grade according to PFF.com. A consistent force on the edge, Bonitto did not post a single game win rate below 17 percent all last year. The second-team All-American will be relied upon heavily with DE Ronnie Perkins moving on to the NFL.

“Bonitto might be the most underrated player in all of college football,” writes Anthony Treash of the website. “The rush-end led all FBS edge defenders in pass-rush grade (93.6), pass-rush win rate (28%) and pressure rate generated (25.7%) in 2020.” The 6-foot-3, 238-pound defender did consider leaving for the NFL after his strong play, but he’s going to be back for for the Sooners in 2021. He’s one of the reasons why Oklahoma is considered one of the top contenders for a title run in the fall, and he could be one of the first EDGE rushers off the board in April.

Bonitto (6'3/238) is coming off of an excellent 2020 season, as he made nine starts and accounted for 32 total tackles (19 solo, 11.0 for loss), 8.5 sacks, 11 quarterback hurries and two pass breakups. While his overall tackle number didn’t match his total from 2019 (43), the redshirt sophomore was much more disruptive especially behind the line of scrimmage. He’ll return to Norman for another run, as the Sooners look to win the program’s eighth national title.