Broncos Land Elite Edge Rusher In This Top Ten List

The Denver Broncos have built an elite defense, and it’s based on getting to the quarterback. It’s team effort, though, which was reflected in this report from Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, which had linebacker Nik Bonitto as the Broncos’ lone representative in his recent list of the top ten edge rushers in the NFL.  

Bonitto landed at tenth, which might seem like a slight. According to Fowler, he “won a close race with Cleveland's Jared Verse for the 10th spot.”

But the numbers Fowler used told a different story. His stat numbers started growing in 2023, when he went from 8.0 to 13.5 to 14.0. Some of that is about the slow build of the Broncos defense, and some is about Bonitto’s relentless dedication to improving, but the biggest reason for the improvment isn’t all that hard to figure out. 

"He's got maybe the best get-off in the league," said a high-ranking personnel evaluator with an NFL team. "Serious closing speed. He's on the quarterback as soon as the ball's snapped. Good spin move and excellent lower-body flexibility.”

There was some criticism, however. The specifidcs included a lack of raw power, and running game prowess, although the Broncos are happy with the linebacker’s improvement in those areas. Moreover, Bonitto’s 23.7 pass rush win rate off the edge ranks him second in the NFL, which helps tilt the equation in his favor. 

Bonitto is also facing a big challenge that’s very unexpected. He’s been able to rely on his running mate at linebacker, Jonathon Cooper, for help in the pass rush, but at this point it seems all but certain that Cooper will at least be suspended by the NFL after being arrested twice in a recent domestic violence incident. 

Cooper’s absence will also test the rest of the defense, both in the pass rush and against the ground game. The Broncos have multiple players who are somewhat undersized at their respective positions, and that includes Bonitto. Speed is a weapon, but subtract too much of it from the defense and the Broncos become more susceptible to being overpowered. 

Don’t bet against Bonitto moving up in this list, however. If there’s one thing he’s proven throughout his career, it’s that his work ethic is unrivaled when it comes to evaluating and improving his performance. The Broncos will need him to continue to do that, and they’ll need more from the rest of the defense as well.