Niner Noise
FanSided

San Francisco 49ers: Grading each rookie NFL Draft pick after 2019 season

By Peter Panacy

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - APRIL 25: Nick Bosa of Ohio State reacts after being chosen #2 overall by the San Francisco 49ers during the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft on April 25, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - APRIL 25: Nick Bosa of Ohio State reacts after being chosen #2 overall by the San Francisco 49ers during the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft on April 25, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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Nick Bosa, 49ers
Defensive end Nick Bosa #97 of the San Francisco 49ers (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

. EDGE. Round 1. NICK BOSA. A+

While Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray might wind up being an exceptional player at the NFL level and a cornerstone for one of San Francisco’s NFC West rivals, general manager John Lynch has to be consistently thanking Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury for wanting Murray, not Nick Bosa.

Bosa’s year-end regular-season stats are as follows: 47 tackles, 16 of which were for a loss, 25 quarterback hits, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, an interception and nine sacks, the last stat ranking second on the defense.

These efforts alone put Bosa into the Pro Bowl his rookie season, also pushing him towards the top of Defensive Player of the Year consideration.

Yet there’s so much more to Bosa’s game which doesn’t go on the stat sheet.

Bosa finished the year with an 86.7 overall grade, according to Pro Football Focus, which ranked tops among rookie edge defenders and 12th overall, which is awfully impressive. And it wasn’t too hard to see Bosa wrecking plays and throwing off opposing quarterbacks’ timing efforts, even if he wasn’t picking up the sack.

Simply put, the 49ers got a true difference maker, and he’s made a massive difference.