Predicting who receives 49ers player awards for 2022 season
By Peter Panacy
49ers Defensive Player of the Year: Nick Bosa
It wouldn’t be overly shocking if EDGE Nick Bosa was in the running for NFL Defensive Player of the Year and not just our nomination for a 49ers-specific award here.
Bosa, who was shockingly snubbed for an All-Pro selection in 2021 despite having 15.5 sacks and a league-best 21 tackles for a loss last season, put up those numbers after suffering a torn ACL the previous year.
Assuming he wasn’t quite at 100 percent during the 2021 campaign, one can figure he’ll be even more potent in 2022.
What’s more vital is getting Bosa some help, as no other player on the 49ers defense came close to sniffing 10-plus sacks last season. The addition of rookie EDGE Drake Jackson via the 2022 NFL Draft should help take some pressure off Bosa, and a still-stacked defensive line means the premier pass-rusher should still enjoy plenty of favorable one-on-one matchups despite being the cornerstone piece of this unit.
As long as Bosa comes close to replicating his numbers from a year ago, there’ll be no denying him as the Niners’ top defensive player in 2022.