With the team-building part of the NFL offseason basically complete, the Denver Broncos coaching staff, led by coach Nathaniel Hackett, turn their attention to OTAs this week, where rookies such as Nik Bonitto get to earn their stripes in front of their veteran counterparts.
Hackett is eager to see how the former affects the QB sooner than later.
“First and foremost, [by] watching the tape last year — I think it was really cool when he came in for his visit he kept talking about affecting the quarterback, affecting the quarterback, and even if he wasn’t sacking the quarterback, [just] being around him,” Hackett said during rookie minicamp earlier this month.
“I think when someone talks about that, then you go back and check it. It’s amazing to see how much he was around him [the QB]. So he has a great knack for getting to the passer. Whenever a quarterback feels that guys around him, always gives him the ‘ibbidies.’ So I’m excited to see that now with us.”
Rushing the passer isn’t all about sacks, although that’s certainly important (Bonitto totaled 16 sacks in his final two seasons at Oklahoma). Getting in the passer’s face and disrupting passes (and piling up QB hits) is important, too.
“We know what he could do in college, but now he’s going to go against some better players, and we’ll have to just continually develop him,” Hackett said.
As a second-round pick, Bonitto plans to be a leader among the team’s rookies this spring.
“There’s definitely a leadership role that gets demanded out of me,” the pass rusher said. “My best trait when it comes to my leadership, is me doing the right things, me coming to work every day and guys seeing me as an example with how I’m doing on the field — my body language and how I approach the meeting room.”
That mentality combined with Bonitto’s ability to wreak havoc off the edge will likely make him a fan favorite in Denver before long.