Nick Bosa is one of the NFL's most dominant pass rushers, earning the 49ers star respect from coaches, coordinators and executives around the league.
That much is evident in ESPN's latest ranking of the top 10 NFL defensive ends, where Bosa comes in at No. 4 along with some lofty praise from one unnamed NFC coordinator.
"He's one big muscle," the coordinator told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. "Has extreme leverage and power and just has a knack for disruption."
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"One big muscle" is right. Bosa is known for taking care of his physique, which has helped him dominate over the years and propelled him to the top of ESPN's rankings -- though the 26-year-old dropped from No. 1 last year to No. 4 this time around.
That's a result of Bosa's decreased production during the 2023 NFL season, Fowler wrote, after the All-Pro tallied 10.5 sacks one year after recording 18.5 during his 2022 Defensive Player of the Year campaign. But the 49ers' defensive line as a whole underperformed in 2023, and Bosa will play a key role in the unit returning to its previous glory.
"Awesome player -- tough, explosive, can bend, can turn speed to power, plays his a-- off," an AFC executive told Fowler. "Have to account for him all the time."
Bosa admitted he wasn't himself to start the 2023 season after contract negotiations took up much of his summer. After voluntarily participating in San Francisco's OTAs this spring and with a full training camp right around the corner, the star edge rusher certainly will be gunning to reclaim his No. 1 spot.
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