The Broncos opened their NFL draft activity Friday night by staying put at No. 64 (the final pick of the second round) and selecting Oklahoma outside linebacker Nik Bonitto.
Bonitto, 22, continues the Broncos’ emphasis on the edge rusher position. They signed Randy Gregory in free agency and have inside linebacker Baron Browning, a 2021 draft pick, working at that spot during the offseason program.
The Broncos have two remaining picks Friday in the third round (Nos. 75 and 96).
“Itap crazy how everything happens,” Bonitto said. “The waiting and getting the call, I couldn’t even hold it back. I can’t wait to get to work.”
Bonitto said he made a top-30 visit to the Broncos’ facility this month.
“They were one of my last visits and just getting the vibe from the staff and all the guys that are upstairs,” he said. “They really feel like they wanted me and I just had a feeling, if I made it to them, I would be blessed enough to get picked by them and thatap what happened.”
Bonitto (6-foot-3, 240 pounds) finished his Sooners career with 117 tackles (32 for lost yardage) and 18.5 sacks in 39 career games. His best season was his final one — third-team All-America honors after making 39 tackles, seven sacks, three fumble recoveries and one forced fumble.
Bonitto joins a crowded edge-rusher room with the Broncos.
“My speed rush, I feel, is one of a kind,” Bonitto said. “I feel I could definitely add and compliment the diff guys in the room and just fit in where I can when it comes to (pass) rushing. Thatap the goal right there.”
Bonitto is from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and was a four-star high school recruit.
The Broncos made two picks on Day 2 of the draft, Denver’s first day in action after not having a first-round pick. Here’s what to know about the new faces in Denver.
OLB Nik Bonitto
dzܲԻ/辱:2nd, No. 64
DZ:Oklahoma
:22
/ɱ:6-3, 238
Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
dzٲ:Bonitto (pronounced bo-NEE-toe) played in 39 games for the Sooners, starting his final 30. He accumulated 117 tackles (68 solo), 32 tackles for loss and 18.5 sacks, which ranks third in school history for a linebacker. An athletic pass-rusher who, once he adds some more size, projects as a problem for NFL offensive linemen. The Broncos will rely on him to be a complementary pass-rush force alongside Bradley Chubb and Randy Gregory.
