The 2022 NFL Draft is scheduled for Thursday, Friday and Saturday and one former Oklahoma football player hopes to hear his name called as early as possible.
That would be Nik Bonitto, who’s speed as a pass rusher off the edge will have some NFL general managers drooling.
Bonitto ran a 4.54 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, and that will certainly be one of his biggest assets as teams continue to evaluate who they want to add to their squad.
The former OU linebacker/edge rusher measures out at only 6-foot, 3 inches and 240 pounds, so he is a bit undersized for the position, relying on speed and technique more so than brute size and strength. He has a tendency to be knocked off his spot by larger or more talented offensive tackles.
Bonitto became a starter midway through the 2019 season for Oklahoma and had one of the most memorable plays in team history with a game-clinching interception in the 25-point comeback win against Baylor in 2019.
He broke onto the scene in 2020, going from fringe starter to gamebreaker for the OU defense. That defense had a penchant for rushing the passer from all over the field, and Bonitto was one of the most integral parts of that scheme.
This led to him receiving many first-round projections for the 2022 draft, and he was anticipated to have a monster year in 2021, his final season as a Sooner. He had a productive season, but he, and the defense as a whole, didn’t reach the heights expected of them in 2021.
Some fans point to Alex Grinch as the reason that players like Bonitto, Perrion Winfrey and Isaiah Thomas won’t go as high in this year’s draft as originally expected. Bonitto’s sacks dropped from nine in 2020 to seven in 2021, as the scheme under Grinch focused more on stunts and gamesmanship rather than straight pass-rushing and allowing the stars to dominate opposing offensive lines.
In all, Bonitto registered 19.5 sacks over his OU career and also tallied 33 tackles for loss. He entered the 2022 NFL Draft and offers uphis ability to harass quarterbacks to all 32 general managers.
Most draft pundits have Bonitto mocked to be selected on Day 2, which would have him fallingsin the second or third round. Because of his ability to get into the backfield, any teams looking at edge rushers should keep an eye on Bonitto.
If the Detroit Lions choose to draft an offensive tackle with the second overall pick, they could be looking for an edge rusher on Day 2. Detroit has ample draft capital from the Matthew Stafford trade and could move up to select a pass rusher in Round 2 that they desperately need.
If Bonitto were to end up on a contender, look for the San Fransisco 49ers or Tampa Bay Buccaneers to take a flyer on him. San Fran could bring him along slowly, but definitely needs more speed off the edge. Tampa Bay needs help on defense and the Bucs are expected to take a hard look at a cornerback or an edge rusher.
Teams like the Minnesota Vikings, Indianapolis Colts and Washington Commanders could also use help on defense and adding an edge rusher with a quick first step can cover up other problems, especially in the secondary.
It is unknown where Bonitto will end up, or what pick he will be, but Sooner fans will certainly be monitoring his career closely after a productive college career.