Steelers dream mock draft: The perfect haul for Pittsburgh in 2022

Steelers dream mock draft round 2: EDGE Nik Bonitto

I recently wrote about Nik Bonitto and what a tremendous fit he would be with the Pittsburgh Steelers. This is a player who (for some reason or another) isn’t getting a lot of early day-two buzz, but he certainly should be.

Bonitto has work to do when it comes to holding up at the point of attack and being a consistent run defender, but he’s electrifying as a pass-rusher. Bonitto is incredibly slippery with outstanding bend and dip around the edge. He has an array of pass-rush moves and his elite athletic traits make it hard for offensive tackles to get a hand on him.

Bonitto tested as a 93rd percentile athlete, and this aligns with what you see on film. He has a remarkable 99th percentile 10-yard spit and posted absurd testing numbers around the board. Bonitto was also extremely productive over the past two seasons and it’s easy to see how his game will translate to the NFL.

Bonitto has tweener size, which makes him an ideal fit for a 3-4 defense, but he’s a special pass rusher who could come in and split time with Alex Highsmith. In time, I would fully expect him to be the better player of the two across from T.J. Watt.