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).

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.

There’s a slight wrinkle to this one. Rivals’ Rob Cassidy passes along that Bonitto might actually have already signed with Oklahoma during the early window in December, but that it was kept hush-hush in order to allow him to make his declaration at the Under Armour All-America Game on Thursday. Regardless of this cloak-and-dagger intrigue, the 6-foot-4, 200-pound Bonitto represents a solid addition to HC Lincoln Riley’s first recruiting class. He’s a lengthy, versatile prospect with plenty of room to add weight.