Nick Bosa: 3 bold predictions for 49ers EDGE entering 2022

Nick Bosa prediction No. 1: Toss in a Defensive Player of the Year award

Immediately after Nick Bosa’s standout rookie season, there was no shortage of thoughts he could soon wind up becoming the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year.

That award should probably be renamed the “Aaron Donald Defensive Player of the Year” award instead, given the Los Angeles Rams perennial All-Pro is regularly in the running for it on a yearly basis.

And players like T.J. Watt, Myles Garrett, Micah Parsons and Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward should be in the mix, too.

However, if we take into account what the best offensive tackle in football, San Francisco’s own Trent Williams, said about Bosa late last year, it shouldn’t even be a conversation about who’s the best:

"When you look at the NFL right now, who would you take over Nick Bosa? To me, I feel like he’s probably playing some of the best football in the NFL right now from the edge position. I feel sorry for the offensive tackles, I really do, because I’ve had full-speed reps against him. We go one-on-ones and that’s full speed, we’re not taking it easy on each other. He has the full array of everything you need. If you were to go into a lab and create a pass rusher, Nick Bosa would walk out."

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Pass-rushers are the most important defensive positional players in the league today, and Bosa will soon capitalize on a hefty contract extension in a year’s time.

And if Bosa winds up being at the top of the outside pass-rusher crop when 2022 is in the books, he should probably take home Defensive Player of the Year honors, too.