5 Denver Broncos players we’re desperate for more of after the bye

2. Nik Bonitto, EDGE

After trading away Bradley Chubb, it seems obvious that we would talk about the remainder of the EDGE group for the Denver Broncos as having an increased role here after the bye week.

Although it’s obvious, it’s worth discussing anyway. Over the last handful of weeks, Nik Bonitto has started getting a little bit more run, and we saw him get a strip-sack on Trevor Lawrence in London. In weeks 5-8, Bonitto has started to play more extensively for the Broncos and he’s starting to hit a little bit of a groove.

In weeks 7-8, Bonitto racked up 1.5 sacks and the aforementioned forced fumble against the Jaguars, and he’s also got one of the highest pass rush win rates of any edge player in the league right now.

It’s obviously tremendous to see Bonitto playing well with the opportunities he’s been given, and after the bye week, he should be playing a substantial role for this Broncos defense. In fact, against the Tennessee Titans, he may end up starting or playing starter snaps depending on who is healthy.

We know part of the motivation for the Denver Broncos to trade Bradley Chubb was the emergence of Baron Browning, who will start alongside Randy Gregory when both players are healthy. Gregory, however, may not be likely to be on the field right after the bye week. That leaves Browning (who is also dealing with an injury) and Bonitto as the next guys up, along with Jonathon Cooper.

With the way he’s played lately, expect to see a lot more of Bonitto going forward.