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Bradley Chubb on Nik Bonitto: ‘His get off is crazy’

The Denver Broncos are liking what they are seeing from rookie edge rusher Nik Bonitto in OTA’s so far.

Broncos hold early season practice session at Dove Valley Photo by Helen H. Richardson/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images

The Denver Broncos may have found something special with their first pick of the 2022 NFL Draft. With that final selection in the second round, they snagged Oklahoma edge rusher Nik Bonitto.

One thing that jumped out to me when Denver drafted him was his first step. It looked fast and on Monday we got confirmation from Bradly Chubb that it was, indeed, crazy.

“Ever since he’s been out on this field, it’s been crazy to see,” Chubb said of Bonitto. “He’s in that Baron [Browning] range when it comes to the natural bend. His get off is crazy. He’s such a finesse guy. He moves around tackles and goes past them. It’s been fun to watch him grow.”

That should give Bonitto a unique chance to contribute early and often on this defense as a rookie. He’ll need to develop his game for sure, but having the speed and finesse this early will make him an intriguing option in obvious passing situations.

With so much draft capital invested in Russell Wilson this year and next year, general manager George Paton has to find some hidden gems with these later picks on Day 2. It sure looks like he may have found one in Bonitto and it will be fun to see how this young rookie grows through training camp and into the regular season.