Nik Bonitto

Nik Bonitto (born September 26, 1999) is an American football outside linebacker for the Denver Broncos. He played college football at Oklahoma.

Nik Bonitto
Denver Broncos
Position:Outside linebacker
Personal information
Born: (1999-09-26) September 26, 1999
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Height:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:248 lb (112 kg)
Career information
College:Oklahoma (2019–2021)
NFL Draft:2022 / Round: 2 / Pick: 64
Career history
Roster status:Unsigned Draft Pick
Career highlights and awards
  • AP Second team All-American (2020)
  • AP Third team All-American (2021)
  • 2× Second team All-Big 12 (2020, 2021)

Early life and high school career

Bonitto grew up in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and attended St. Thomas Aquinas High School. He was named an Under Armour All-American as a senior.[1] Bonitto was rated a four-star recruit and committed to play college football at Oklahoma over offers from Texas and Louisville.[2]

College career

Bonitto played in three games as a true freshman before using a redshirt on the season.[3] He became a starter at outside linebacker six games into his redshirt freshman season and finished the year with 43 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.[4][5][6] As a redshirt sophomore, he recorded 29 tackles with ten tackles for lost and 7.5 sacks and was named a second team All-American by the Associated Press.[7] Bonitto repeated as a second team All-Big 12 selection after finishing his redshirt junior season with 39 total tackles, 15 tackles for loss, seven sacks and one forced fumble. Following the conclusion of the regular season, he announced his decision forgo his redshirt senior season and enter the 2022 NFL draft as well as opt out of the 2021 Alamo Bowl.[8]

Professional career

Bonitto was drafted by the Denver Broncos with the 64th pick overall in the 2nd round of the 2022 NFL Draft. The Broncos used the selection previously obtained from the Los Angeles Rams in a trade for Von Miller.

Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeightArm lengthHand span40-yard dash10-yard split20-yard split20-yard shuttleThree-cone drillVertical jumpBroad jumpBench press
6 ft 3 in
(1.91 m)		 248 lb
(112 kg)		 32+1⁄2 in
(0.83 m)		 9+3⁄8 in
(0.24 m)		4.54 s1.53 s2.63 s4.23 s7.04 s35.5 in
(0.90 m)		10 ft 0 in
(3.05 m)		22 reps
All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day[9][10][11]

References
  1. "St. Thomas' Nik Bonitto commits to Oklahoma, has already signed with the Sooners". Sun Sentinel. January 4, 2018.
  2. Nathan, Alec (January 4, 2018). "4-Star DE Prospect Nik Bonitto Commits to Oklahoma over Louisville, Texas". Bleacher Report.
  3. "Nik Bonitto's growth key as OU deals with injury at outside linebacker". Norman Transcript. October 21, 2019.
  4. "Bonitto enters fall ready to build on growth from last season".
  5. Kersey, Jason (December 27, 2019). "How Oklahoma finally made inroads at powerhouse St. Thomas Aquinas, Joe Castiglione's prep alma mater". The Athletic.
  6. "OU football: Nik Bonitto's versatilty figures to be a big asset for Sooners in Bedlam". The Oklahoman. November 19, 2020.
  7. "AP All-America football team 2020: Tulsa's Zaven Collins makes first-team, OU's Nik Bonitto second team". The Oklahoman. December 27, 2020.
  8. "Oklahoma LB Nik Bonitto opts out of Alamo Bowl, declares for NFL draft". The Dallas Morning News. December 6, 2021. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
  9. "Nik Bonitto Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
  10. "NFL Combine: Official measurements for every NFL Draft prospect in Indianapolis". theathletic.com. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
  11. "Nik Bonitto, Oklahoma, OLB, 2022 NFL Draft Scout, NCAA College Football". draftscout.com. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
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