Detroit Lions three-round 2022 mock draft with number one pick
2. Nik Bonitto, EDGE, Oklahoma
Defensive end Romeo Okwara had 10 sacks for the Detroit Lions in the 2020 season.
Everson Griffen was second on the team with 3.5 sacks.
As a team, the Detroit Lions had just 24 sacks in the 2020 season, a borderline laughable number.
The Lions need to add some pass rushers in a big way, and they do so here at the top of the second round of this 2022 mock draft projection with Oklahoma’s Nik Bonitto.
Bonitto had 11.5 tackles for loss and 9.0 sacks in the 2020 season for the Sooners, and if you ask Pro Football Focus, his falling to the second round of a mock draft is certainly a laughable idea.
Nik Bonitto pressured the QB at a higher rate than any other player at his position last season (25.7%)
— PFF College (@PFF_College) July 9, 2021
The 4th-ranked overall player entering the 2021 season: https://t.co/RrKHL7U9gv pic.twitter.com/ZAeoXt1J55
Bonitto can certainly get after the quarterback. At 6-foot-3, 238 pounds, he’s certainly not got the ideal size for an EDGE player but if he can improve at the point of attack in 2021, he can undoubtedly rise into the first round.
There will certainly be a ton of eyes on Bonitto this season and the Detroit Lions would probably love to be able to add him to their edge position for 2022 and beyond, considering their best pass rusher is Okwara, who at this point is all alone out there.