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The Denver Broncos didn't have any picks in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft after sending three players and draft capital to the Seattle Seahawks for Russell Wilson. GM George Paton couldn't help but feel antsy, waiting for quite a while to use the Broncos' first pick of the draft in the late second round. After spending most of the first round waiting and watching Russell Wilson highlights, Paton and company selected outside linebacker Nik Bonitto with the 64th overall pick.
After the departure of star linebacker Von Miller, the Broncos were in need of another pass rusher to compliment Bradley Chubb. Bonitto terrorized quarterbacks in college. In 2021, he tied for the most quarterback pressures (48) in the Big-12 and was awarded the Big-12 Player of the Year by PFF. He also accumulated 16 sacks in his final two seasons at Oklahoma.
Per Mike Klis of 9News Denver, Bonitto and the Broncos agreed to a four-year deal worth $5.8 million and a $1.4 million signing bonus. The deal also comes with a fifth-year option. The drafting of Bonitto comes at a time where Chubb is entering the final year of his contract. Some would argue that Chubb has not produced enough in his time in Denver to warrant a contract extension, so there is a chance Bonitto may end up replacing Chubb after this season.
The team also has been working out deals with some of their other rookie draft selections.
#Broncos getting some rookie draft picks signed to 4-year deals.
Nik Bonitto – $5.8 mil w/ $1.4 mil signing bonus.
Luke Wattenburg – $3.9 mil w/ $287,716 signing bonus.
Matt Henningsen – $3.8 mil w/ $162,080 signing bonus.
Faion Hicks – $3.76 mil w/ $101,680 signing bonus.— Rachel Strand (@MileHighRachel) May 11, 2022
The addition of Bonitto will definitely be a welcome addition to the pass-rushing room that includes Chubb, Randy Gregory, Jonathan Cooper, and Malik Reed. In a league that is seeing more and more dual-threat quarterbacks, it can't hurt to have a quick and versatile linebacker like Bonitto.
