One stat which shows why Broncos' Nik Bonitto is the best pass-rusher in the NFL

Through five weeks of the NFL season, the Denver Broncos' defense looks as good as it did in 2024. While there have been some areas of concern, like at the off-ball linebacker spot, the overall defense is still elite.

Sitting at 3-2, the Broncos are tied with the Los Angeles Chargers for the AFC West division lead. After their comeback win over the Philadelphia Eagles, Denver looks forward to their London matchup against the New York Jets to continue stacking wins.

A huge reason why the Broncos are so good this season and that their defense is once again an elite unit, thanks to pass-rusher Nik Bonitto. There's a case to be made that he's been the best pass rusher this season, and there's one statistic that's strong evidence in support of that argument.

Why Broncos' Nik Bonitto is the best pass rusher in the NFL

Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team shared a simple statistic ahead of the Broncos' Week 6 matchup. He shared that Bonitto has seven sacks, which happens to be the same or more sacks than eight NFL teams.

Bonitto this season has out-produced a quarter of the league in sacks on his own. Through five weeks, Bonitto has more sacks than four teams and the same amount of sacks as four teams, including the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles.

The Chicago Bears have five sacks as a team, though it's in only four games since they had their bye in Week 5. But the Carolina Panthers (5), Baltimore Ravens (6), and San Francisco 49ers (6) each have fewer sacks than Bonitto in the same number of games.

Tied with Bonitto in sacks this season are the Jets, Eagles, Tennessee Titans, and Jacksonville Jaguars. What makes this statistic so incredible is that both the Eagles and Jaguars defenses are strong units.

More: Broncos' Nik Bonitto is on pace to set historic NFL record

And yet, they haven't had more sacks this year than Bonitto. The Broncos' superstar pass rusher has 17 tackles this season, and his seven sacks have netted 54 yards lost.

He's been one of the best players in the NFL, and after winning Defensive Player of the Week for his Week 5 performance, in which he had 2.5 sacks against the Eagles amid the Broncos' comeback, his case as the best pass rusher in the NFL is further strengthened.

Bonitto is likely among the top candidates to earn the Defensive Player of the Year. If voting ended after Week 5, he and Jaguars' linebacker Devin Lloyd would be in a tight race for the award.

The 26-year-old has been incredible for the Broncos this season, and in year four with Denver, he's emerged as not just an elite defender, but is making the case as the best pass rusher in the NFL.

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