Mile High Sports

Nik Bonitto plays like Von Miller, Denver Broncos benefitting from sacks, pick-6

Rich Kurtzman
Nik Bonitto slaps hands with teammates Courtland Sutton and Jarrett Stidham as he runs onto the field at Mile High Stadium

Nik Bonitto (15) runs onto the field for his breakout game against the Browns.

Nik Bonitto plays like Von Miller. There’s no doubt about it.

Not only does Bonitto play the edge like the Denver Broncos legend, he just did something Miller did; return a pick-6.

Bonitto has taken over as the No. 1 edge rusher on the Broncos this year, and the comparisons to Miller will likely continue from here.

Nik Bonitto plays like Von Miller, leads the Broncos in sacks

Bonitto, the 2022 2nd-round draft pick, has emerged as a Broncos Country fan favorite this year. And his sack ability has helped gain him national attention too. Add in his national breakout game last night, and the Broncos have a star in the making.

With the Monday night lights shining brightly, Bonitto made possibly the biggest play of his career to date.

Instead of speed-rushing the quarterback, he backpedaled, jumped a route and picked off Jameis Winston, then turned on the jets. Bonitto cruised 71 yards into the end zone untouched, the third-longest pick-6 by a Broncos linebacker in history.

You could say the play was muy Bonitto. Or Casa Bonitto.

That play wasn’t just exciting, it was crucial in the Broncos 41-32 win over the Browns. Denver led 14-10, but Cleveland matched the Broncos on seemingly every drive. The Browns had already quickly moved into field goal territory, at the 29, with nearly two minutes before halftime.

Cleveland could have ended up kicking a field goal, or they possibly could have driven down and scored a touchdown to take the lead without Bonitto’s timely interception.

“I’ve been trying to tell people I used to play safety back in the day and people are surprised,” Bonitto said of the pick-6 after the game. “(Laughs) Just trying to do my job. When I saw a chance to break on the ball, I kind of just went and did that.”

A pick-6 for an edge defender is rare, but Bonitto joined Miller who had two such plays in his Denver career.

The Denver Broncos have a new sack master

The pick-6 was something special, especially for a defensive lineman.

But what Bonitto is usually known for is his supreme sack abilities. Currently, Bonitto is second in the NFL with 11.0 sacks, behind Trey Hendrickson (11.5) of Cincinnati. The Broncos breakout player enjoyed six straight games with a sack, which tied Miller’s run in 2018.

He’s been lining up in the wide 9 technique, using his superb speed to blow by tackles. Simply, Nick Bonito plays like Von Miller on those rushes.

Yes, he’s lining up much wider than Miller did, but he uses speed to duck under tackles for sacks. Here’s a great highlight film from his six-game sack streak earlier in the year from Brian Baldinger.

According to Broncos PR, Bonitto tied Bradley Chubb last night with his sack of Winston, totaling 20.5 sacks through his first three seasons. I did some research and found the six guys ahead of them who are:

Bonitto’s 20.5 sacks put him in 30th all-time for the Broncos, and the total is all the more astounding considering he started only five games in his first two seasons.

Bonitto for Defensive Player of the Year?

Some, like Jordan Shultz of FOX Sports, are arguing this morning that Bonitto is a legitimate Defensive Player of the Year candidate.

Currently, Bonitto is an incredibly long shot with the 14th-longest odds to win the award, at +4000. T.J. Watt of the Steelers is the odds-on favorite at -160, Xavier McKenny is second at +1700, and Pat Surtain II is third at +1800.

Looking at their stats though, Bonitto’s aren’t that far off from Watt’s, and Denver’s young star leads in some categories.

Watt: 9.5 sacks, 5 forced fumbles, 3 passes defended, 23 QB hits, 16 TFLs, 2 fumble recoveries.
Bonitto: 11.0 sacks, 1 FF, 3 PD, 19 QB hits, 13 TFLs, 1 pick-6.

It seems unlikely that Bonitto will win over superstar T.J. Watt, but weirder things have happened.

The Broncos pass rusher is on pace for 14.5 sacks this season, which could end up leading the league. If he reaches that number, he’ll move into 19th in Broncos history this season, ahead of Bill Romanowski and behind Chubb (26.0).

And this breakout season for Bonitto could put him on the national radar for DPOY in coming years.

The Broncos (8-5) are in 7th in the AFC and in the playoffs as of now, with their bye this week. They finish the season against the Colts, Chargers, Bengals, and Chiefs.

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