Nik Bonitto could be in line for a big third season.
rush linebacker Nik Bonitto finished with just 1.5 sacks. Although he was drafted in the second round to get after the quarterback, his year-one impact was minimal, leading many Broncos fans to worry that it would be a wasted pick.
Indeed, Bonitto's snap share increased from Year 1 to 2, going from 357 snaps as a rookie to 524 in 2023 . It wasn't just the 17-point increase in percentage of snaps that explains Bonitto's uptick in production.halfway through Bonitto's rookie year. A few months later, the first-round pick Denver received in exchange for Chubb was parlayed into the Payton hire.
Bonitto needed to continue honing an NFL body so he could anchor and hold up at the point of attack in run support, and he showed improvements in both areas in Year 2. He got bigger and stronger, and modestly more trustworthy against the run. But that's being generous. Otherwise, Bonitto is destined to be a No. 3 rush linebacker tapped to see the field in obvious passing situations or to spell one of the guys ahead of him. And lacking impact as a run defender, when he's called onto the field in relief of a Browning or Cooper on first or second down, opposing offenses run right at him.
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