Denver Broncos General Manager George Paton's tenure with the franchise definitely got off to a rocky start, and it got so bad that many fans had actually called for Paton to be fired after the 2022 season, where the first year of the Russell Wilson era yielded totally opposite results from what many expected.
Things began to turn around for the better when Sean Payton arrived, and now suddenly, Denver is on the doorstep of a Super Bowl. Throughout this turnaround, many of Paton's draft picks have also developed and hit their strides.
Non-first-rounders like Quinn Meinerz, Jonathon Cooper, Luke Wattenberg, Nik Bonitto, Riley Moss, and others have either broken out or are on that type of pace right now. With the Broncos currently owning the 62nd overall pick this year, fans surely hope that Paton can re-create this All-Pro pick from a few seasons ago.
Can the Denver Broncos find the next Nik Bonitto at another position in the 2026 NFL Draft?
Bonitto was the 64th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft and was billed as a developmental player who had a ton of pass-rushing upside, but not much as a run defender. Bonitto's rookie season yielded virtually nothing. He appeared in 15 games and finished with just 1.5 sacks and 14 tackles.
However, things really began to come around in 2022, as he finished with eight sacks, 13 tackles for loss, and 20 quarterback hits. And since then, Bonitto has not only made two Pro Bowls, but he's also earned a second-team All-Pro selection and has had two top-10 Defensive Player of the Year finishes.
With 27.5 sacks, 30 tackles for loss, and 52 quarterback hits combined over the past two seasons, Bonitto has cemented himself as an elite player at one of the more important positions in the league, and his ascension these first four years is precisely how it should go for developmental prospects.
We did just hear Paton talk about the 45-75 pick range in this year's draft, which does appear to be the sweet spot this year. And, typically, that range is where you can find those developmental prospects with high upside.
Players selected before that range can be starters almost immediately in many instances. When the Broncos took Bonitto at pick 64, they surely knew that he'd need time to develop - that was simply the type of prospect he was coming into the NFL.
And for the sake of the Broncos being able to sustain this window for the long-term, finding another 'Bonitto' at pick 62 would be ideal. Sure, the team likely wouldn't see that player reach his ceiling until year three or four, but that's also the idea here.
Someone like Max Klare at tight end or Jake Golday at linebacker could fit this Bonitto arc perfectly, and given how strong the roster is, targeting a specific position of need should be how Denver approaches this year's class.
Sure, best player available has its benefits, but it's not a smart method when a roster like the Broncos is in place. Now is the time to address the weakest positions.
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