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The Denver Broncos are one of the top Super Bowl contenders heading into the 2026 NFL season. While there might be some uncertainty about Bo Nix coming off his ankle injury, there is reason to believe this team can win it all this year.
A huge reason why is how good this defense can be. The secondary is as good as any unit around the NFL, and this pass rusher group could easily lead the league in sacks.
Speaking of leading the league in sacks, Sports Illustrated's Connor Orr predicted that Nik Bonitto would be the NFL's sack leader in 2026. It's a bold prediction, but it's actually a fairly realistic one that could actually happen this upcoming season.
Broncos' Nik Bonitto predicted to lead NFL in sacks is realistic
"Nik Bonitto will lead the NFL in sacks," Orr predicts. "The Broncos' edge rusher will fend off the Texans' Danielle Hunter in a sack-for-sack faceoff that comes down to the final week of the season."
Bonitto hasn't led the league in sacks before, so it's not like it would be doing something he's done before in his career. But this past season, he had 14.0 sacks, and the year prior, he had 13.5.
Working within a defense as good as the Broncos, Bonitto is someone who should be able to get plenty of pass-rushing opportunities in 2026.
Assuming the Broncos' offense, now with Jaylen Waddle, is good this upcoming season, they should have the lead often, giving Bonitto more chances to rack up sacks in 2026.
He's proven to be one of the best pass rushers in the NFL in recent years, as he's a two-time Pro Bowler and has placed inside the top-10 in Defensive Player of the Year voting the last two seasons.
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At 26 years old, Bonitto is in the middle of his prime, and with a stellar defense around him, along with an improved offense that should give him more pass-rushing chances in 2026, it would not be a huge surprise if Bonitto led the NFL in sacks in 2026.
Denver closes out the season with the Las Vegas Raiders (twice), Pittsburgh Steelers, Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots, and Los Angeles Chargers after their Week 10 bye.
There are some great matchups during that stretch for Bonitto to rack up sacks as he pushes for the league-lead in sacks.
While Orr's prediction is a bold one, in that Bonitto has not once led the NFL in sacks, it's not out of the question that he could have such a season in 2026.
More NFL news:
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- ESPN analyst says if Cade Klubnik gets on the field for Jets it would mean something went wrong
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