Nik Bonitto

Career StatsD+

Year	Team	GP	Tkl	Sacks	INT
Career		64	138	37.0	1
2025		17	46	14.0	0
2024		17	48	13.5	1
2023		15

Season	Team	GP	Tkl	Sacks	INT	PD	Grade
2025		17	46	14.0	0	—	D- D- Bottom 12%
2024		17	48	13.5	1	—	C+ C+ Top 48% — above average
2023		15	30	8.0	0	—	C- C- Below average
2022		15	14	1.5	0	—	F F Bottom 5%

Grades reflect the player's performance in each season. Header grade shows the current season.

Current Contract

Contract Value Index (CVI)

The Broncos handed Nik Bonitto a massive $26.5M AAV extension that looks like a significant overpay for a rotational linebacker, earning a C CVI grade that reflects Denver's aggressive bet on upside over proven production. At $106M total, this deal pays Bonitto like an elite edge rusher when his current output suggests he's closer to a solid rotational piece rather than a franchise-caliber cornerstone. The four-year structure does provide some salary cap flexibility, but the $38.3M guaranteed represents substantial risk for a player who hasn't consistently dominated as a full-time starter. Denver clearly sees untapped potential in Bonitto's skill set and believes he can elevate his game to match this contract, but paying rotational-level production at elite money is typically a recipe for buyer's remorse. This feels like the Broncos mortgaging future cap space on projection rather than rewarding established excellence, making it a questionable allocation of resources in a salary cap era where every dollar counts.

Contracts in the Same Value Band

Other same-position deals the Contract Value Index also places in the C band — a quick read on where Nik's contract sits relative to comparable money.

Performance Analysis

Nik Bonitto is a four-year edge rusher for the Denver Broncos whose pass-rush upside has always outpaced his overall defensive profile. His current D+ grade reflects a concerning 2025 slide after earning a C+ in 2024 and a C- in 2023. The trajectory is moving in the wrong direction at a stage when most pass rushers are entering their prime. The one area where Bonitto is genuinely elite is sack production — his 0.82 sacks per game absolutely demolishes the NFL average of 0.23 and surpasses the elite threshold of 0.50. That's a legitimate weapon. However, everything else is a liability: his 2.71 tackles per game trails the NFL average of 3.80, his 0.26 TFL per game lags behind the 0.40 average, and his 0.06 pass deflections per game is well below the 0.20 benchmark. He's a one-tool specialist in a league that increasingly rewards versatility from edge defenders. If Bonitto can't expand his run-defense and coverage contributions, he risks becoming a situational rusher rather than a full-time starter. Watch whether Denver's new defensive scheme finds creative ways to hide his limitations while maximizing his pass-rush gifts. His ceiling remains a high-end rotational edge with double-digit sack potential — but only if the downward trend from 2024 to 2025 reverses course.

How Nik Compares at the Position

Nik Bonitto ranks 82nd of 347 graded linebackers by performance. That slots Nik between Bradley Chubb (C-) just ahead and D.j. Wonnum (D+) just behind.

Current Sentiment

Nik Bonitto enters the 2026 season as one of the Denver Broncos' most important defensive pieces, having accumulated an impressive 37 career sacks across four seasons that justify his substantial contract investment. Recent coverage paints him as a vocal, engaged team leader, with Bonitto publicly championing young pass rushers like Jonah Elliss and positioning himself as a mentor figure within the defensive unit. His excitement around a potential Von Miller reunion signals strong organizational buy-in and a player who understands the franchise's identity and history. The upcoming Week 1 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs has generated genuine enthusiasm around Bonitto, with media framing him as a key chess piece in a high-profile divisional rivalry. Overall, fan and media perception heading into 2026 is solidly positive — Bonitto is viewed as a productive, well-compensated edge rusher on an ascending Broncos defense, though a Pro Bowl nod or postseason run would be needed to elevate him into the conversation among the AFC's elite pass rushers.