The Denver Broncos enjoyed the end of their playoff drought in 2024, largely thanks to their outstanding pass rush and edge-rusher rotation.
Every single rostered member of the room enjoyed a career season, yet there are still questions to answer with the room this offseason and throughout the 2025 campaign.
What looming concerns must be addressed with this rapidly ascending unit? Let’s look
Nik Bonitto
How Did 2024 Go For Them?
This past season was remarkable for Nik Bonitto, as he went from a rotational player with a murky long-term future in Denver, who was in a roster battle with Baron Browning, to a foundational building block for the Broncos’ defense and one of the NFL’s leading sack artists.
Nik Bonitto embarrassed this offensive tackle with the ghost rush. pic.twitter.com/yJlb5MTNub
— Frankie Abbott (@FrankiesFilm) January 6, 2025
Bonitto’s 13.5 sacks ranked third in the NFL. He also finished 10th in total pressures among all positions and 15th in pass rush win rate among edge rushers. His Pass Rush Productivity score of 9.5 tied with Von Miller for eighth-best among 127 qualifying edge rushers.
His most impactful moments, though, were his two defensive touchdowns, which contributed massively to victories the Denver Broncos had to have to break their postseason drought. If Bonitto doesn’t score both touchdowns, there’s a healthy chance the Broncos would have missed the playoffs.
CASA BONITTO!!!!#ProBowlVote + @nikkkkbonitto pic.twitter.com/F3PgKZ0dry
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) December 16, 2024
That tremendous breakout campaign earned Bonitto a second-team All-Pro nod and had him as a top-five favorite for the NFL’s MVP award for a multi-week stretch late in the season.
Making matters even better for Bonitto is the fact that he became eligible for a contract extension this offseason, and he can now immediately capitalize on his career year. Even if the Broncos decide to make him wait a year for his payday, it would take a severe injury and/or a steep drop in play for Bonitto not to be one of the five most coveted free agents next offseason. His play this season makes it a near certainty that he will have a salary north of $20 million annually before long, and that number will likely be much closer to $30 million than it is to that floor of $20 million.
That said, Bonitto’s 2024 wasn’t flawless.
Although he took a step forward in practically every facet of the game, he still left a lot to be desired as a run defender. Among 127 qualifying edge defenders, the former Sooner ranked 96th in run-stop rate and 117th in missed tackle rate, as he stopped a run at the line of scrimmage on just 4.3% of his snaps while missing 24.1% of his tackle opportunities against the opponents’ ground assault.
He also had an abnormal amount of his production come in ‘garbage time’ scenarios, where the game’s final outcome is no longer in question. This matters because in those situations, the amount of effort your opponents are giving can become inconsistent and the play-calling can become highly predictable, enabling pass-rushers to tee-off on the quarterback.
Plus, the Broncos’ defensive ecosystem is extremely beneficial to its edge defenders, and it’s fair to wonder how much of Bonitto’s production couldn’t be replicated by a different player in the same advantageous position. Vance Joseph’s blitz-happy style forces a lot of favorable one-on-one matchups for Bonitto, and no defense in the league has stickier man coverage than Denver, which affords Bonitto a lot of time to win his isolated matchup.
These nitpicks aren’t meant to detract from Bonitto’s wonderful season but rather to contextualize the debate surrounding him soon becoming one of the highest-paid players at his position. This isn’t like when Von Miller became eligible for an extension after the 2015 Super Bowl run, and it was a no-brainer to give him a Scrooge-McDuck-sized pile of money to swim through.
The fact that we’re even having these conversations about Bonitto earning the annual GDP of a developing nation illustrates just how far he’s come and how great he played last season.
Grade: A-
What Needs To Be Addressed This Offseason?
How much faith do the Denver Broncos have in Nik Bonitto and his future development?
The Broncos have to make a massive determination on Bonitto’s contract extension this offseason — whether or not they want to offer him somewhere between $25 and $30 million annually and well over $100 million in guaranteed money, to tie his future to the Denver franchise for the foreseeable future — and their decision will ultimately hinge on how much they believe in their burgeoning superstar.
If they buy the hype swirling around the third-year pass-rushing ace, they have to get the deal done this offseason. Sure, $25 million per year is steep, but it’s a lot more manageable than a $35 million yearly salary, which is how much Bonitto’s value should rise with another standout season. Honestly, with Myles Garrett’s new extension and Micah Parsons’s deal looming, Bonitto signing for $40 million a season after demonstrating a year of sustained dominance is very possible.
That $15 million difference every year could be the difference between locking up Riley Moss or Devaughn Vele long-term and having to watch them leave in free agency. Learn from the Dallas Cowboys, who could have signed Micah Parsons for $30 or $35 million per year a season ago and will now likely wind up paying him over $40 million every season.
On the other hand, if they think Bonitto’s season was more of a product of luck and circumstance, they should make him play out the 2025 campaign to prove it wasn’t a fluke, a la Vic Beasley in 2016. Shelling out that money for a player who isn’t worth it would seriously hamstring the team for multiple seasons and potentially prevent them from finding a replacement due to the sunk-cost fallacy.
At season’s end, you either have a new evaluation and feel confident paying Bonitto his elevated value, or, you can let him walk and almost certainly pick up a quality compensatory pick in return.
What Should the Denver Broncos Do?
The Denver Broncos should sign Nik Bonitto.
NIK BONITTO IS DOING BIG MAN THINGS pic.twitter.com/yudFWCWy3X
— Barstool Sooners (@OUBarstool) December 3, 2024
There are some very real red flags surrounding this mammoth extension, but we’re now in an era of NFL team building where it’s much harder to find players worth big-money extensions than it is to find the money necessary to ink those deals.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the salary cap has exploded, with an average growth rate of 11.25% year over year. As a result, teams have $71 million more in cap space than they had in 2022. That’s enough added cap that you could add Nick Bosa and Maxx Crosby’s lucrative annual salaries to a cap-compliant 2022 roster and still remain under the 2025 cap limit.
Point being, it might feel like a $30 million extension to Nik Bonitto would take a lot off the table, but in reality, the NFL’s annual inflation would be more than enough to compensate for it.
If the cap’s growth stays on its current pace, and — considering the likelihood of an 18th game being added to the schedule and Netflix and Amazon entering the NFL broadcasing rights bidding war in the next few years — it’s much more likely to surpass its present rate than it is to taper off, the 2026 cap will jump about $31.4 million dollars from its present rate.
Bonitto’s extension wouldn’t hit the books until 2027, though, when the cap jumps another $34.9 million to a total of $345.5 million. At that point, his extension would be worth just 8.7% of Denver’s total cap space, which is a share similar to what 30-year-old Leonard Williams received from the Seattle Seahawks last season.
When you look at it like that, why not just pay him now?
Even if it goes bust, the Broncos’ front office has proven with all of their recent contract extensions and free-agent signings that they’re extremely capable of constructing these deals cleverly to ensure protection against their moves going belly up. When we’ve seen them manage to build in escape hatches into the extensions for better and more reliable players, like Quinn Meinerz or Pat Surtain II, why wouldn’t they be able to do the same with Bonitto?
The odds of the Denver Broncos letting Nik Bonitto walk in free agency are near zero, so they might as well get ahead of curve and save themselves some money in the process.
Jonathon Cooper
How Did 2024 Go For Them?
Much like Nik Bonitto, Jonathon Cooper experienced the best year of his young career in 2024, reaching new peaks in sacks (10.5), pressures (30), QB hits (20), and tackles for loss (11) on his way to earning a new four-year, $54 million extension from the Denver Broncos.
That level of production following a similarly productive 2023 represents meaningful growth that was largely overlooked by Broncos Country from the former seventh-round pick. Over the first 936 defensive snaps of his career (36.7%) Cooper tallied just 4.5 sacks and 23 pressures, which translates to one sack every 208 snaps and one pressure every 41 snaps. The subsequent 1,618 snaps have seen Cooper notch 19.0 sacks and 52 pressures, which is good for one sack every 85 snaps and one pressure every 31 snaps.
With Bonitto breaking out alongside him, Cooper’s tremendous season suggests the Broncos might have their starting edge group set for the next half-decade, and the tandem complements each other excellently. Cooper is a bulkier presence who offers more on early downs because of his better performance against the run, while Bonitto is the speedy pass-rushing ace who can close out an opposing drive
Jonathon Cooper has improved every season he's been in Denver, and his development culminated in his first 10+ sack season and a $60M contract extension. pic.twitter.com/EYTFbJBOux
— Frankie Abbott (@FrankiesFilm) February 23, 2025
Solidifying that floor while playing at a level that suggests there still might be some untapped potential Cooper could still grow into marks a great season, and $54 million only makes it that much sweeter. Unfortunately, he was still somehow outshined, which slightly limits his grade, as does the fact that he didn’t outperform expectations to the same extent as Bonitto or another player we’ll discuss later on.
Grade: B
What Needs To Be Addressed This Offseason?
As the Denver Broncos’ future at the position group comes into clearer focus, what role does Jonathon Cooper fit into?
This past season, Cooper served as the ‘thunder’ to Bonitto’s lightning, but against more physical teams, it became very apparent that Denver lacked strength and physicality on the edge. Then, the reserves in the room seem like more extreme versions of Cooper and Bonitto’s respective roles, with Tillman being an even stronger and stouter run-defending presence and Elliss as an even more passing-down-centric player.
These are all quality contributors who will each be with the team for at least the next two seasons, so how do they reconfigure things to address this lack without blowing up their stockpiled talent at this premium position?
Do they bring in a fifth body who can help bolster the early-down presence and have Cooper slide into more of an ‘every-down’, ‘jack-of-all-trades’ role? How does that impact his snap count and the team’s pass rush?
Do they up Tillman’s snap count, have him and Cooper be the primary options on early downs and obvious run situations, and then lean harder on Bonitto and Elliss on passing downs? Does that allow the same problems to persist? Does it unintentionally damage the defense’s ability to pressure the quarterback with Elliss playing more of those snaps in Cooper’s place?
These are good problems and questions to have, but they need to be solved before the start of the 2025 season, regardless.
What Should the Denver Broncos Do?
This might be a problem that continues to bother the Denver Broncos for 2025 before finally being remedied in 2026. The Broncos have a lot of needs more pressing than this one, and it will be hard to add a player to the room that deserves meaningful snaps after Day 2 of the draft.
That said, Denver should eventually look to solve this problem by adding another larger edge defender to the room to help round out the rotation. Spending a top-20 pick on Shemar Stewart to fill that role might be rich, but with Nik Bonitto still currently unsigned, it would be justifiable.
Jonah Elliss
How Did 2024 Go For Them?
Although he might not have exceeded expectations to the same lofty extents that many of his peers in the room did, Jonah Elliss still had a strong 2024 season, especially for a mid-round rookie at a premium position like edge rusher.
Elliss totaled 20 pressures and 5.0 sacks, earning a PRP score of 5.9, ranking fourth, second, and fifth, respectively, among rookie edge rushers with at least 20 pass rush opportunities in 2024. For comparison’s sake, Nik Bonitto notched 19 pressures, 1.5 sacks, and an identical PRP score of 5.9, though Bonitto had a better pass-rush win rate (11.2% to Elliss’s 8.1%) and reached his totals on 54 fewer pass-rush snaps.
Jonah Elliss had some really exciting flashes as a rookie. pic.twitter.com/5DG5bs4HWI
— Frankie Abbott (@FrankiesFilm) February 8, 2025
One interesting wrinkle to Elliss’ edge utilization, which we’ll likely see grow over time, is his versatility, which allows more frequent usage in pass coverage. Of all the team’s edge defenders, it was the Utah rookie who saw the highest percentage of his snaps come on passing plays (67.2%), yet also somehow rushed the passer at the lowest rate when there was a dropback (rushing just 82.6% of the time, and dropping in coverage the over 17.4% of the time).
Elliss surpassed expectations in year one as a run defender, but that still projects to be a relative weakness in his game throughout his career, simply because he doesn’t have the size or power necessary to consistently wall off the run from the edge position. The fact that he’s competent in coverage should help him avoid the ‘one-trick pony’ label, even if he finds himself max out as the team’s designated passing-down specialist.
Grade: B-
What Needs To Be Addressed This Offseason?
Should Jonah Elliss still be the first man of the bench in the Denver Broncos’ edge rotation?
Last year, Elliss played 79.4% more snaps (197 snap difference if simply tallying them up) than Dondrea Tillman, yet Tillman appeared to be the better player and created greater production against both the run and pass, while also adding size and run-stopping ability that the room desperately needs
64.2% of Denver’s rotational edge-rusher snaps went to Elliss, while only 35.8% went to Tillman despite this.
Plus, with the need for additional bulk and strength on the Broncos’ defensive front, there’s always potential of Denver making an addition to the room that could further jeopardize Elliss’s standing as the position’s clear No. 3 option.
What Should the Denver Broncos Do?
The Broncos should give Tillman a greater workload and more responsibility.
Elliss is younger, still probably boasts more developmental upside, and should continue to be developed by the staff with that in mind. However, he doesn’t need 430 snaps or to be the first man off the bench in order to receive that development.
This isn’t like Anthony Richardson in Indianapolis, where only one quarterback gets to play, and therefore, only one quarterback receives those developmental reps.
All four of these edge defenders should appear in every single game that they’re healthy for this season. Elliss can still develop and continue to grow into the future starter the Broncos hope he’ll be, while still allowing the staff to maximize the defensive talent currently at their disposal and playing Tillman more.
Dondrea Tillman
How Did 2024 Go For Them?
Dondrea Tillman was one of the Denver Broncos’ best finds last offseason.
After signing him from the UFL’s Birmingham Stallions for a minimum deal that gives the Broncos up to three years of control (when factoring in ERFA and RFA statuses), before having to sign him to a new deal, Tillman became an immediate weekly contributor and key cog to the team’s edge rotation.
Lack of size has been a point of emphasis throughout this look at the position room, but that is no fault of Tillman, who boasts a beefy 270-pound frame — making him 13 pounds heavier than Cooper, 24 pounds heavier than Elliss, and 30 pounds heavier than Nik Bonitto.
That size helped Tillman be one of the Broncos’ more reliable edge-setters and one of their best run defenders in the team’s edge rotation. He played the second-highest rate of run-game snaps among Denver’s edge group, trailing only Cooper. Per PFF, Tillman flourished too, as he led the Broncos’ edge group in run-stop rate, average depth of tackle and run-defense grade, and ranked sixth, 28th, and 19th, respectively, among all 127 qualifying edge defenders.
Now, he accomplished this in a meager sample of just 81 run-defense snaps, so projecting him to sustain that excellent level of play with more wear and tear is dubious. Nonetheless, his stout presence is something Denver could use more of in 2025.
Plus, barring injury, there isn’t much reason not to lean into Tillman’s aptitude against the run, as he was a well-rounded player who doubled as an impactful pass rusher. Despite having 89 fewer pass-rush opportunities than Elliss, Tillman tallied the same amount of sacks (5.0), one more pressure, and three more quarterback hits.
Tillman's second-step on stunt plays is a fun thing to watch — high motor guy who has the deceptively athletic traits to make some plays when rushing inside. pic.twitter.com/tuXQAByaQR
— Cody Roark (@CodyRoarkNFL) April 4, 2025
The former Birmingham Stallion also ranked 12th in PRP, trailing an assortment of the league’s most decorated pass rushers.
The fact that Tillman went from being a UFL player to making an NFL roster would be a win worthy of a strong grade. Making the roster, earning playing time, and thriving in the role he was given solidifies him as one of the biggest winners of the Broncos’ 2024 campaign.
Grade: A+
What Needs To Be Addressed This Offseason?
There is not much to worry about regarding Dondrea Tillman this offseason. The Broncos have already decided to bring him back as an exclusive-rights free agent, which was always a no-brainer, and there isn’t any present obstacle to him maintaining the same role he had on the roster a season ago.
Unfortunately, his position could be less secure if the Broncos make a meaningful investment at the position in this year’s NFL Draft, which isn’t unthinkable, considering the team’s need for size and physicality. If they do that, it wouldn’t make sense to cut Tillman, as doing so would cancel out the addition, but it could easily eat into his snap count or prevent his playing time from increasing, despite his impressive 2024 campaign.
Plus, with players like the freakishly athletic Shemar Stewart projected to potentially drop far enough to be on the board at pick 20, the Broncos making a high-value selection at the position is absolutely in play.
What Should the Denver Broncos Do?
Last year’s success has fans understandably wanting to push their chips all-in for the Broncos to take the next step in 2025, but the team is likely better off slow-playing the Tillman situation to wait and see what he develops into.
Shaquil Barrett is an extremely positive outlier, but Denver’s UFL gem developing into a starter or top-three member of a team’s rotation is a much more reasonable outcome than one might think. He’s older for a player of his experience level, just now finishing his rookie year at 26, so his developmental runway is going to have to be short, but this past season suggests he’s hitting the ground running.
Now, that equation changes somewhat if a special talent like the aforementioned Stewart drops to Denver, but even then, Tillman should be a near-lock for next season’s final roster.
The every-down ability he gives you at the game’s second-most valuable position, for the price of an ERFA contract, is undoubtedly one of the best financial bargains in all of football.
Andrew Farmer
How Did 2024 Go For Them?
Most of Broncos Country probably doesn’t know who Andrew Farmer is or that he was a Bronco in 2024. That’s because he was a late addition to the practice squad, joining the team in September to provide depth to their edge group.
Although he hung around Denver’s practice squad this offseason and was brought back on a futures contract, he failed to appear in a single game for the Broncos this past season.
That represents a notable step down from 2023, when Farmer appeared in eight of the Chargers’ regular-season games and played a total of 108 snaps.
Unfortunately for Farmer, that might be the end of his playing time in the NFL, as it’s hard to imagine him climbing up Denver’s depth chart.
Grade: D-
What Needs To Be Addressed This Offseason?
Is he better than the other roster cuts or undrafted free agents the Broncos could put on their practice squad next year?
As of now, practice squad depth is all he’s providing the team, and finding either a better option or one with more long-term upside shouldn’t be overly difficult.
Farmer’s future with the team likely rests on whether or not Denver can find that cheap upgrade.
What Should the Denver Broncos Do?
As discussed before, the Broncos need to add some size to their edge-rusher rotation. Doing so would not only help the team’s run defense and general heft, but it would also eliminate the need for Farmer.
That said, it’s not like Farmer is harming anything by hanging around. He’s just not really offering anything either.
