Nik Bonitto’s confidence flagged and eventually failed.

Starting over could have felt like a fresh beginning, except he wasn’t so sure an incoming coaching staff would want to build with him.

So when defensive coordinator Vance Joseph summoned Bonitto to his office in early 2023 ahead of his second NFL season, Bonitto assumed the worst.

“I doubted myself individually,” Bonitto said Wednesday.

Instead, what he got was a pep talk and a vote of confidence from Joseph, newly hired by Sean Payton to help resuscitate a franchise languishing in the doldrums.

“He’s just like, ‘Nik, I know you can be a double-digit sack guy in this league,’” Bonitto recalled. “I’m like, ‘Are you sure you brought the right guy in here? I just had a one-sack season.’ ”

Well, 1.5 sacks, to be precise. But the ta

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