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Originally Posted by Quesadilla Joe

Some highlights from a recent Bonitto puff piece…

Spoiler!

“We used to do a 10-yard start time (drill) and he was the best one on the whole entire team, like over the receivers,” said Broncos rookie wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr., who played with Bonitto on the Sooners in 2020 and 2021.

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“I firmly believe he has Pro Bowl and Hall of Fame potential,’’ said Roger Harriott, who coached Bonitto at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. “He has that much athletic talent and a great work ethic.”

The 6-foot-3, 240-pound Bonitto is coming off his NFL breakout game, having 2½ sacks in last Sunday’s 31-28 win over Chicago in his first start of the season. The big one came when Bonitto blasted Bears quarterback Justin Fields, forcing a fumble that Cooper scooped up and returned 35 yards to tie the score 28-28 with 6:55 remaining.

That performance was so impressive by Bonitto, who had replaced Randy Gregory in the lineup, that the Broncos decided afterward to part with Gregory, who signed a five-year, $70-million contract in March 2022.

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“He was starting some games in the eighth grade at defensive end and competing for the same spot as Brian Burns, who was two grades ahead,’’ said Harriott, referring to the Carolina Panthers star edge rusher. “He was in the eighth grade competing with some of the most prominent players in the country and doing well.”.

“He was so dynamic and he has a great work ethic,’’ Harriot said. “He’s an extremely meticulous and cerebral human being. And he has been blessed with extraordinary talent since he was a little kid. He’s strong, he’s fast, he’s long, he’s extremely athletic and he’s a nightmare for offensive tackles.”

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In watching the game back, Turner-Yell was impressed to see to see Bonitto get to Fields in 2.5 seconds.

“That’s extremely fast,’’ Turner-Yell said. “That’s an extremely good get-off.”


“He has such a natural feel of the game that I’ve rarely ever seen in players,’’ Cooper said. “His instincts really take over and he’s able to create a lot of plays for us. … He’s really just coming into (his own), to be a really good elite edge rusher in the NFL.”

https://denvergazette.com/premium/co...2356471df.html

LAST PLACE!