We long heard about Nick Bosa and his otherworldly talent for months on months now. He was the projected first overall pick throughout the college football season and into the NFL Combine. Then Kyler Murray’s draft stock flew up to him being the favorite to go number one. This pushes Bosa down to second overall. Not bad but still, not the luxury of being the first pick.
It has been rumored for months now that the San Francisco 49ers will select Bosa if he’s on the board, and why wouldn’t they? But is Bosa the guy to put them over the top or do they need help elsewhere if the team wants to make a deep postseason run?
Is Nick Bosa the Missing Puzzle Piece for the San Francisco 49ers?
What Bosa Brings to the Table
Let’s start this discussion off by saying that I do view Bosa as the number one player in this year’s class and as an elite talent.
At first glance, Bosa looks like everything you want in a pass rusher. Taking a deeper dive only confirms this hypothesis. His strengths? Starting off you notice his high-end hand usage, perhaps his best trait. He has a high repertoire of pass rush moves at his disposal and flows between the moves with great ease.
Ohio State DE Nick Bosa is the odds-on favorite to be the No. 1 pick in the 2019 draft. Sure-fire star ☄️https://t.co/4F8frLZfax pic.twitter.com/vLW8wxqaRP
— Bleacher Report CFB (@BR_CFB) August 29, 2018
In the first play above you see him explode off the line maintaining good leverage. From there Bosa extends his arms to keep his frame clean, swipes the offensive tackle’s hands down, and turns the corner with great body control and comes up with the sack.
Want to get into the nitty-gritty now? Well, let’s dive in. Let’s check out the second play from above; fast forward to about the 13-second mark. The start of this play is like many others, with him exploding off the line of scrimmage and gaining ground up the arc fast. Bosa keeps great leverage and has the power to stand the offensive lineman up on his heels and walk him into his quarterback. He ends the play with the same result as before; with the quarterback on his back.
Going back to Bosa’s skill set, he may not be the most flexible or “bendy” edge, but he can manipulate his way around an offensive tackle and turn the corner with ease. Bosa makes good use of a forward body tilt and has enough ankle flexibility to duck under punches and maintain his speed up the arc. He creates favorable angles to the quarterback for himself and minimizes his surface area.
If there’s one thing that’s clear it’s that Bosa sure does know how to get after the quarterback, doing so with great success.
The State of the 49ers Roster
While Bosa may be an elite level pass rusher, is he enough to put the 49ers over the top and help them make a deep playoff run?
Well, let’s dive into the roster to find out, starting with the offensive side. Most importantly is the recovery and return of Jimmy Garoppolo. After a season-ending injury, the team really started to fall apart. But now he’s back for his first full season as a starter.
Wide receiver may still be an area of need but with George Kittle and the trio of pass-catching running backs, Garoppolo seems to have his picking in targets.
Dante Pettis showed some promise his rookie year and looks to take the next step in year two. The addition of Tevin Coleman is vital to the offense. Reuniting him with his former offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan should provide wonders.
Enough about the offense, let’s talk defense. First off, the defensive line. After spending countless resources here, it may finally be a finished product (assuming they land Bosa of course). Having Bosa and Dee Ford as your pass rushers gives you a lot of star power and great play off the edge. The interior combo of Solomon Thomas, Deforest Buckner, and Arik Armstead offer a lot of versatility as well.
The second level offers a lot of potential. The addition of Kwon Alexander was splashy but could prove to be very impactful. Of course, he has had his share of missed tackles, but he offers good upside his speed and physicality. Him playing next the Fred Warner gives this defense a true identity in the middle. After a great rookie season, Warner looks to improve on it and get even better. The two linebackers look to be interchangeable pieces for this defense, and both have the ability to call the plays and run the defense if needed.
The cornerback room is led by Richard Sherman. While this group may be a little underwhelming it has its moments. Yes, corner and safety are on the 49ers short list of needs, but they have good rotational players to cycle through as well.
What’s the Success Level At?
This team has a lot of potential, especially with some true threats coming off the edge now. This may not be a super bowl caliber roster just yet but with a good draft, the 49ers are geared up to make a shot at it.
What’s the perfect draft look like you ask? Well let’s take a look below:
First Round, Pick Two: Nick Bosa, EDGE, Ohio State
Second Round, Pick 36: Nasir Adderley, S, Delaware
Third Round, Pick 67: JJ Arcega-Whiteside, WR, Stanford
Fourth Round, Pick 104: Connor McGovern, IOL, Penn State
Sixth Round, Pick 176: Jimmy Moreland, CB, James Madison
Seventh Round, Pick 212: Gary Jennings Jr, WR, West Virginia
Main photo:
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