NFL · Biography
Nik Bonitto
Outside linebacker · Denver Broncos · active · OU 2018-2021
Broncos sack artist, All-Pro, and pride of Fort Lauderdale
Nik Bonitto grew up in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and starred at powerhouse St. Thomas Aquinas High School, earning Under Armour All-American honors. The four-star recruit picked Oklahoma over Texas and Louisville.
After a redshirt year in 2018, Bonitto became a starting outside linebacker six games into 2019 and finished with 3.5 sacks. In 2020 he broke out with 10 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks, earning second-team All-American honors from the Associated Press. He followed with 15 tackles for loss and seven sacks in 2021, repeating as second-team All-Big 12, before declaring for the draft.
The Denver Broncos took him in the second round (64th overall) of the 2022 NFL draft, and he has developed into one of the league's most dangerous edge rushers. He was a second-team All-Pro in 2024, made the Pro Bowl in 2024 and 2025, and was ranked 32nd by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2026.
As of October 8, 2026, Bonitto is an active outside linebacker for Denver and one of the Sooners' brightest stars in the league.