The Denver Broncos have four legitimate pass rushers along their defensive line. Let's see where the team's top rushers rank among major stats in 2024. The Broncos defense has gone from among the worst in the NFL in 2023 to the best in 2024. Huge strides have been taken by Nik Bonitto, Jonathon Cooper, and Zach Allen, and new addition John Franklin-Myers has been a wonderful acquisition.
The team recently extended Jonathon Cooper, and it would not shock me to see both Bonitto and Allen get extensions of their own this coming offseason. Keeping this defensive front together through their prime seasons would be an amazing and smart idea.
And what's weird is that there is no clear "top" rusher between Cooper, Allen or Bonitto. They're all very good and deserve recognition, so let's see where they rank among all defenders in major statistical categories.
Where do the Denver Broncos top pass rushers rank in major stats?
Sacks
Nik Bonitto is tied for the 6th-most sacks in the NFL this year with seven. Jonathon Cooper is tied for the 7th-most sacks in the NFL this year with 6.5, and Zach Allen's 5.0 sacks are good for the 10th-most. Denver has three players ranked in the top-10 in sacks.
QB Hits
In terms of QB hits, Zach Allen ranks 2nd in the NFL with 20. Nik Bonitto ranks as tied for 6th with 14 QB hits. He's tied with Maxx Crosby, Danielle Hunter, and several others at this figure. Jonathon Cooper has 12 QB hits on the year, which is tied for 8th-best in the NFL.
Tackles for Loss
Now, time for tackles for loss. Zach Allen has 11 tackles for loss, which is tied for the 2nd-most in the NFL. Nik Bonitto has 8 TFLs, which is tied for the 5th-most in the NFL, and Jonathon Cooper's 7 QB hits is good for the 6th-most, tied with many others in the league.
No matter how you slice it, the Denver Broncos have three top-10 pass rushers on their roster, and guys like John Franklin-Myers and Jonah Elliss are also very much holding their own. The Broncos defensive line is the engine that has made this unit go in the 2024 NFL Season, and it's a huge reason why the Broncos are 5-5 and in a playoff spot.
The hope is that this won't wear off down the stretch. If not, the Broncos may have enough here to win nine games or so and make a Wild Card.