Za’Darius Smith left in free agency to go those mouth-breathers that wear purple. On Wednesday, Whitney Mercilus announced his retirement from the NFL. Yes, the Green Bay Packers will have Rashan Gary and Preston Smith in the fold in 2022 and beyond, but they need a good amount of depth added to their edge rush.
Enter Nik Bonitto from Oklahoma.
It’s somewhat surprising that Bonitto is projected to be a third-round pick, given his college production. He will enter the league with a strong resumé. Perhaps it’s that he’s a bit undersized at 245 lbs., but what he lacks in that department, he more than makes up for it in all other facets of his game. He has first-round talent written all over him.
Bonitto uses his quickness and football IQ to constantly make plays and disrupt the life of the opposing quarterback. His explosiveness off the line of scrimmage is top tier, and he’s shifty as can be trying to work around offensive tackles.
Oklahoma has long been known for being an offensive juggernaut when Lincoln Riley was running the show. But the Sooners’ defense started to come into their own in the last couple of seasons. A big reason for that was the presence of Bonitto and what he brought to the table.
Per The Draft Network, Bonitto does many things really, really well.
Bonitto offers excellent first-step quickness and is explosive out of the blocks. He is able to gain the edge quickly, forcing tackles to over-kick, and then he uses his quickness and lateral agility to counter inside. Given his lack of size, his explosiveness and quickness are his best assets to get home.
Bonitto displays excellent ankle flexibility to turn sharp corners and tight angles when he is rushing the passer. He displays an excellent ability to bend the corner and get home to the quarterback. A very fluid athlete, Bonitto can make defenders miss with body fakes and seamless moves tied together.
Bonitto plays with an outstanding motor and displays tremendous effort every down. He is relentless in his pursuit of the quarterback and is often gifted production late in the down simply because he never stops working. He plays with his hair on fire and is aggressive in his attack.
A high-motor player with explosive burst off the line who is a really sound athlete? Who isn’t signing up for that?
Still, Bonitto is projected to be a late Day 2 pick. Maybe he’ll go at the tail end of the second round of the draft. He’s a hidden gem waiting for a team to discover him.
Green Bay has the power with Smith coming off one edge. Preston Smith certainly has finesse in his game, but he isn’t known for being a speed rusher. Gary is explosive and has blossomed into an emerging star for the Packers on the other side of the defensive line. The duo makes up one of the best in the NFL. But depth is much needed with Za’Darius Smith’s exit and Mercilus’ retirement.
That’s where Bonitto comes in.
Bonitto can handle a full workload, but that wouldn’t be his role with the Packers right off the bat. Like Gary in his rookie season, the Packers could use Bonitto plenty, and defensive coordinator Joe Barry would find ways to get him on the field. However, Bonitto would not be an immediate starter given what the Packers already have in place.
A lighter workload in his rookie season would mean a more full tank of gas as the regular season winds down and transitions into the postseason. That’s where Bonitto could shine for the Packers.
Drafting Bonitto would help Green Bay’s depth on the edge immensely, but selecting the former Oklahoma Sooner is not a depth move. It helps in that area, but Bonitto has star ability, and it’s easy to envision him becoming a solid NFL starter for years to come.
Lance Zierlein of NFL.com puts it best when noting Bonitto’s lack of size but how he makes up for all of it.
Undersized edge defender who plays in a slant-based scheme that makes evaluating his three-down value more difficult. Evaluating the pass-rush talent, on the other hand, is quite easy. He’s a wildly athletic rusher who blends get-off, stride length and flexibility into one alarming package for tackles trying to slow him down. Rush counters come instinctively and his ability to seamlessly transition his attack from outside to inside makes him a projectable rusher against athletic tackles as a pro.
Green Bay needed help on the edge once Za’Darius Smith departed. Mercilus’ retirement added salt to the wound. Now, there’s a more glaring need to add pieces and help alleviate all that rests on the shoulders of Preston Smith and Gary.
Drafting Nik Bonitto could sweep away many of the question marks that currently linger.
