OLB Nik Bonitto positioned himself for contract extension

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — After the Broncos’ 31-7 loss to the Bills in the wild-card round on Sunday, here’s a look at which stock improved or declined during the 2024 season.

Stock Up

OLB Nik Bonitto: In his third season, Bonitto established himself as one of the top pass rushers in the league. He totaled 13.5 sacks and 54 pressures en route to being second-team All-Pro honors. Perfect timing for a player who is eligible for a contract extension in the offseason. According to Over the Cap’s Valuation metric, which measures contract value with on-field production, Bonitto could fetch $14.55 million per year. Just like teammate Jonathon Cooper, who signed a four-year, $60 million extension during the season, Bonitto is trending upward.

QB Bo Nix: The Broncos have found their quarterback. Nix had an impressive rookie campaign despite a lack of playmakers at his disposal. He displayed resilience and learned from his mistakes. After Nix threw for no touchdowns and four interceptions in his first two games, he totaled 29 touchdowns and eight interceptions the rest of the season. Nix added 92 carries for 430 yards and four scores, displaying his elite athleticism. He even led the team in rushing six times, including Sunday’s loss to the Bills. Scouts critiqued Nix’s arm strength in the lead-up to the 2024 NFL draft. But he showed multiple times he could make big-time NFL throws, including a 43-yard TD pass to rookie Troy Franklin in Denver’s only scoring drive at Buffalo. Nix proved to be a good fit for Sean Payton’s offense. Now it’s time to capitalize.

S Brandon Jones: In navigating through $89 million in dead cap, Broncos general manager George Paton had to find a few diamonds in the rough. Jones was one of those under-the-radar players. The former Dolphins safety ably replaced departing Pro Bowler Justin Simmons in Denver’s starting defense. At 26, Jones is an ascending player who is under contract until 2027. He had a career-high in tackles (115), interceptions (three) and passes defended (10). As the nearest defender, Jones gave up a passer rating of 56.6.

Offensive line: Sean Payton emphasized fortifying the trenches since arriving in Denver last offseason, and has seen the work pay off. The Broncos offensive line was fourth in sacks allowed (24) and gave up the fewest pressures (161) in the league. Garett Bolles showed he still can be a reliable protector of the blindside. The starting left tackle gave up just two sacks and 29 pressures on 628 pass-blocking snaps, according to NFL’s Next Gen Stats. Meanwhile, Quinn Meinerz further established himself as one of the best right guards in football. Meinerz was named first-team All-Pro by the Associated Press after giving up a sack and 23 pressures in 638 pass-blocking snaps.

The Broncos were among the best in the league in quarterback sneaks, largely due to the guys up front. Nix had a success rate (percentage of carries resulting in positive EPA) of 83.3% on quarterback sneaks — sixth-best in the league with a minimum of 11 attempts. With every significant player under contract, this is a unit that will only continue to grow.

Stock Down

Running game: Denver needs to take a serious look at its run game, from a schematic and personnel standpoint. The Broncos’ rushing attack didn’t show up when it mattered, totaling 79 yards on 17 attempts in Buffalo. And that’s been a problem throughout the season. The Broncos were 16th in the league in rushing at 112.2 yards per game and largely inconsistent. The Broncos rotated between running backs Javonte Williams, Jaleel McLaughlin and Audric Estime — and none emerged as a true No. 1. Williams, an unrestricted free agent this offseason, still hasn’t reverted to the player he was before tearing an ACL in 2022. He averaged 3.7 yards per carry and was held to under 30 yards in eight games. The Broncos need to find a RB1. Losses to the Bills and Ravens in Week 9 serve as a reminder of that.

Inside linebacker: Denver’s inside linebacker room was put in a tough spot when starter Alex Singleton suffered a torn ACL in Week 3. Even though Justin Strnad gave a valiant effort filling in, Denver’s middle linebacker play was an issue. Strnad and Cody Barton struggled in coverage, and were mismatches against tight ends and running backs in the passing game. Both players combined to give up 845 yards on 73 catches.

Pass catcher: Nix will need more weapons at his disposal outside of wide receiver Courtland Sutton, who recorded 81 catches for 1,081 yards and eight touchdowns. Marvin Mims Jr. was the team’s second-best pass catcher at 503 yards, while Denver’s tight ends combined for 455 yards. Wideout Devaughn Vele had an inspiring rookie year, but he, Sutton and Troy Franklin had costly drops in Denver’s biggest game in nine years.

Maybe the Broncos make a run for Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins in free agency. Or target tight ends like Tyler Warren (Penn State) or Colston Loveland (Michigan) in the draft. Either way, Denver needs to build around Nix if Payton wants to paint the perfect picture for his offense.