Nick Bonitto

Context

Plays mostly as stand-up 7 or 9 technique.

Pass Rush

He is an explosive athlete, who has outstanding upfield burst and puts the Offensive Lineman under significant duress in the first few steps of his rush. He has very good play speed as he processes the game at a high level to add to his athletic ability. Only Offensive Linemen with elite set quickness can maintain the half-man relationship at the start of their set. He has a solid rush plan that takes advantage of his get-off which is his main weapon. He uses his footwork effectively to set up different types of move so that Offensive Linemen with good foot speed cannot simply catch up to him quickly but that they have to maintain solid fundamentals to maintain a solid post foot or he will come through them with a speed to power move. He has managed to add this to his repertoire and can push the pocket against most competition but OL with a solid anchor can stalemate him after a reset. He also has the beginnings of a long arm move that is well leveraged and well-placed but with little finish yet. His straight speed rush is the most dangerous move he has at his disposal, he can win with this against OL he has set up with inside moves or those with only adequate foot speed.

This is usually just a speed rip with good bend and body control. The other moves he puts on when he threatens the outside, like a stab-rip, are not yet especially effective, though he does deploy an effective dip move to get under the OL’s hands. He is able to counter off his primary move and shows accurate and powerful hands to disengage but he has not yet developed an effective inside counter, which he could do given his lateral agility and quickness. On stunts and games when he slants or loops inside he does so with little conviction. He has good bend to corner and good body control to turn the edge to the QB and close with speed.

Vs Run

His upfield burst and processing are equally good against the run. He diagnoses types of run very quickly and can therefore quickly match angles with reach blocks or position to avoid pullers or kick-out blocks. When front-side against TEs or OTs he will set a disciplined but not dominant edge and won’t constrict running lanes. He does however stay leveraged at the point of attack and keeps his eyes in the backfield before shedding to tackle the ball carrier in his gap.

He does this with the play strength derived from the leverage he has gained from his good hand usage – well placed, well timed hands locked out, or with savvy to pull-push bigger OL. When facing heavier OL with better play strength, he can lose gap discipline in his pursuit of tackling the runner. As a backside defender, he reads run quickly but can be washed inside and create large cut-back lanes.

SUMMARY
Explosive speed rusher, who gets off the ball and causes issues in first few steps of his rush. Has a solid plan, and processing/explosion helps against the run. Not a consistent edge-setter.

PRODUCTION
JR: 8 Sacks, 11 QB Hits, 32 Total Tackles, 1 FF
SO: 8 Sacks, 9 QB Hits, 20 Total Tackles, 3 Batted Balls
INJURY: None

RAVENS FIT
Athleticism 5
Intelligence 4
Versatility 2
Grit 4
Scheme 4