The Denver Broncos played the waiting game.
And when it was over, they selected linebacker/edge rusher Nik Bonitto out of the University of Oklahoma in the second round of the NFL Draft.
Bonitto was the Broncos initial pick of the draft. They traded their first round pick this offseason to the Seattle Seahawks in the deal that brought quarterback Russell Wilson to Denver.
They patiently let the board fall to them on Friday before taking Bonitto.
Bonitto started 30 of the 39 games in which he played in for the Sooners. In 2021, he had 39 tackles ad 15 tackles for loss. Bonitto added seven sacks, recovered a fumble and broke up a pass. Pro Football Focus named him the Big 12 Conferene Defensive Player of the Year.
In four seasons with Oklahoma, Bonitto had 117 tackles, 32 tackles for loss and 18-and-a-half sacks.
Shortly after being selected, Bonitto spoke with Denver media on a conference call:
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