2022 NFL DRAFT PROSPECT REPORT
- Name: Nik Bonitto
- Position: Edge Rusher
- School: Oklahoma
- Height: 6'4"
- Weight: 248lbs
Film Watched: Nebraska 2021, Texas 2021, Florida 2020
Pro's:
- Lightning quick. Offensive tackles panic facing his speed and burst off the edge
- Elite agility; able to adjust trajectory with zero loss of speed, and set up blockers for double moves
- Relentless top speed to attack the corner before blockers are set, with good bend and arc
- Evades linemen trying to latch on, keeping his pads clean and ready to make a play
- Quick to diagnose what an offense is executing and adjusts to stay relevant on the play
- All the speed rush moves in his arsenal
- Good locator of the football and is clean, effective tackler
- Will hunt down the play from the backside
- True sack artist – 16 sacks in his last two seasons in Norman
Nik Bonitto is a DE prospect in the 2022 draft class. He scored a 9.31 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 98 out of 1413 DE from 1987 to 2022. https://t.co/DTWjky1EkW #RAS pic.twitter.com/mMdPzgUf4s
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) March 17, 2022
Con's:
- Undersized and lightweight
- Has major issues stacking and shedding to the football – getting off blocks is not his forte
- Admirable coil and explosion into contact, but not a body mover with power
- Struggles to set the edge against bigger blockers
- Finds gaps with speed, and won’t soften edges and open up pocket access with hand power
The Verdict:
“Nik Bonitto is lightning in a bottle, a guy that blazes around the football field like a heat-seeking missile locked on to the football. Bonitto’s calling card is as an edge rusher; he brings speed, instincts and elusiveness as he attacks the pocket, and knows how to infiltrate a backfield. He’s aware of the concern his speed poses to an offensive line and uses it to his advantage with a clever array of rush combos and counters - blockers cannot tune out all game. Bonitto is an effective tackler and does well to reduce his surface area and avoid contact, but his size is obviously problematic where he needs to win with power. If he gets bigger he has the potential to be a three-down edge rusher, but a 3-4 defense is his ideal fit and teams that employ that scheme may opt to develop him as an off the ball linebacker in their subpackage to get the most out of him.”
Simon Carroll
Head Of NFL Draft Content
NFL COMPARISON: ZACK BAUN
PREDICTION: 3RD ROUND PICK
Rated 5 out of 5