Ranking the top 10 moves by the Denver Broncos in the 2022 offseason

Denver Broncos top move no. 7: Drafting EDGE Nik Bonitto

The Denver Broncos had 36 sacks as a team in 2021.

Six of those sacks belonged to Shelby Harris, who is now a member of the Seattle Seahawks after the Russell Wilson trade.

Another 4.5 of those sacks belonged to Von Miller, who was traded mid-season to the Los Angeles Rams.

With one of the picks coming back in the Von Miller trade, the Broncos took a guy who, at least physically and athletically, can do some similar things to no. 58.

Nik Bonitto out of Oklahoma is someone that Denver Broncos fans have had their eyes on for quite some time, and for good reason. Among the pass rushers in the 2022 NFL Draft class, Bonitto has one of the best first steps of any, and he has the versatility to be able to drop into coverage or spy the quarterback when asked to do so.

With Bradley Chubb and another newcomer in Randy Gregory as the projected starters off the edge, the Denver Broncos will have intriguing depth and the potential for an actual rotation off the edge in 2022.

Bonitto figures to be a huge part of that.

One thing that GM George Paton has wanted to emphasize since coming to Denver is getting better team speed.

That has effectively happened over the last two years of roster building and Bonitto is certainly no exception to the rule.

With his outstanding speed and explosiveness, Bonitto can bring a pass rush presence to a defense that desperately needs one off the edge.

Only 7.5 sacks from last year’s squad are returning off the edge in 2022 (Malik Reed, Jonathan Cooper).

The Broncos needed more pass rush productivity off the edge in 2022, and they certainly went out and got it.