Nik Bonitto warned people he could play in coverage. Denver’s edge rusher played safety during his senior season at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. And even though his experience as a defensive back was minimal, Bonitto was confident he could step in when needed.

The opportunity to showcase those skills came Monday night in the second quarter against the Browns.

Browns quarterback Jameis Winston thought he had a wide-open Jordan Akins for a check-down throw in the flat. Instead, Bonitto anticipated the pass perfectly, grabbed the ball and sprinted the other way for a 71-yard touchdown that gave Denver a 21-10 lead with less than two minutes left in the second quarter.

“I’ve tried to tell people that I used to play it safe, and people are surprised,” Bonitto said. “…When I saw an opportunity to break on the ball, I just did it.”

Last week against the Raiders, Bonitto entered the Pro Bowl conversation, becoming the first Bronco since 2018 to record double-digit sacks in a single season. In Denver’s 41-32 win over the Browns, Bonitto proved he is an All-Pro by shining in the national spotlight.

Denver’s defense wasn’t great. The Broncos had coverage issues and communication issues, resulting in a back-and-forth three-win game against the Browns. However, Bonitto managed to improve despite Denver’s defensive woes, recording one sack and a season-high six pressures on 28 passes, according to Next Gen Stats.

After the game, cameras and microphones were held in Bonitto’s face as he was bombarded with questions. Still, the large crowd of reporters surrounding Bonitto couldn’t drown out linebacker Jonathon Cooper’s praise for his teammate.

The Broncos always knew Bonitto could be an elite defender. But in prime time, the entire nation saw a star in the making.

“That (boy) cold. …Fifteen is crazy,” Cooper said, his voice echoing through the locker room.

The former Oklahoma star has 11 sacks and 43 pressures and has four games remaining this season. He recorded at least four exposures on four separate occasions. In three seasons, Bonitto has recorded 20.5 career sacks, tied with outside linebacker Bradley Chubb for the seventh-most sacks by a Broncos in a three-year span.

The Broncos were quick to say Monday wasn’t their best defensive performance. Denver allowed 552 yards of total offense while wide receiver Jerry Jeudy dismantled his former team’s secondary, rushing for 235 yards and a touchdown on nine catches.

But despite a lackluster performance, the Broncos defense once again found a way to win.

Bonitto had one of Denver’s three interceptions against Winston, who also threw for 497 yards and four touchdowns. On his pick-six, Bonitto reached a top speed of 19.88 seconds – the second-fastest speed of a linebacker as a ball carrier this season, according to NFL’s Next Gen Stats.

“I thought I ran faster, but I’ll take it,” said Bonitto, who had the third-longest interception return for a touchdown by a Broncos linebacker and the longest since Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker Randy Gradishar in 1980 recorded.