Nik Bonitto is coming off the best season of his football career.
The 25-year-old pass rusher made the Pro Bowl and was named a second-team All-Pro in 2024 after totaling 24 quarterback hits, 16 tackles behind the line of scrimmage, 13.5 sacks and two defensive touchdowns (one pick-six and one fumble returned for a score).
Now approaching his fourth season in the NFL, Bonitto appears to be entering his prime, and Denver Broncos left tackle Garett Bolles has been full of praise for his daily opponent at practice.
“The dude has what it takes to be great,” Bolles said when asked about Bonitto in June. “I pull him and ‘Coop’ (OLB Jonathon Cooper) to the side all the time and I say, ‘You guys can be the best in the league.’ They have high motors. He doesn’t give up. It’s a special talent to be able to time up a snap count and be able to jump it. It scares tackles. I get to go up against that every single day, so it’s a great battle for me and puts me on my ‘A’ game every single day.
“Just what he does day in and day out, he never quits. He’s so smooth with it. He can bend, he can rip. He has power. It’s just really cool to see him grow up and become something that tackles fear and teams have to prepare for him. I’m proud of him, and I love him dearly. I think the sky’s the limit for him.”
Bolles, who also has a second-team All-Pro on his resume, is a key player for the Broncos, and he’s respected across the league as a quality left tackle. Bolles faces each team’s best pass rusher on a week-to-week basis. He knows what the league’s top talents look like, and Bonitto is entering that territory. That’s great for Denver’s defense — and it’s great for Bolles to get daily practice reps against a formidable edge defender.
Bonitto’s stock is certainly trending up going into his contract year.
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