There’s no doubt that a key part of the San Francisco 49ers‘ run to Super Bowl LIV was due to rookie sensation Nick Bosa, who made a statement in his first season in Santa Clara, California.
Pro Football Focus recently announced that Bosa was their highest-graded rookie defender since Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald.
Highest-graded rookie seasons on defense 2017-2019
1. Nick Bosa, 2019 – 89.8
2. Tre’Davious White, 2017 – 89.4
3. Marcus Williams, 2017 – 89.2
4. Derwin James, 2018 – 87.8
Bosa’s nine sacks and 45 total pressures were just a teaser for the performances he put in during the NFL playoffs, where he totaled four sacks in three games and solidified his value as an edge rusher in the NFL.
Going into his second season, Bosa’s reputation has grown. He will face more attention in terms of offensive scheming, but there’s reason to think the former Ohio State Buckeye will build on his regular-season sack total in 2020.
Consistency vs. Explosiveness
Pass rushers typically go one of two ways in the NFL: picking up a sack every game or two, consistently producing although not to the point where they break a game open.
Other top rushers have that ability, but Bosa finds himself somewhere in the middle. The defensive end recorded a sack in nine of 19 games, including one in the opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, despite the 49er dealing with an ankle injury that kept him out of the preseason.
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While that sort of consistency is what San Francisco and the NFL look for in edge rushers, Bosa complemented his consistency with explosive moments like in the 51-13 Week 7 win over the Carolina Panthers.
The 49ers sacked Panther quarterback Kyle Allen seven times, with Bosa getting the credit for three sacks and an interception in the game. San Francisco went up by three scores midway-through the second quarter, but their rookie did earn the first sack to begin a tough outing for Allen and Carolina.
In the Week 4 31-3 win against Cleveland and in the 27-10 Divisional Round over the Minnesota Vikings, Bosa again earned multiple sacks, adding to his case as a guy that can continue hitting weak spots after finding them.
Who Bosa Faces in 2020
Let’s start with divisional opponents, which was not Bosa’s strength in 2020.
Typically, Bosa is coming from the right side of the defensive line, but that doesn’t matter much when you’re facing Rams tackles Rob Havenstein and Andrew Whitworth. The Rams gave up just 22 sacks in 2019, and zero to Bosa, only allowing the rookie three total pressures.
Furthermore, Bosa did not garner a sack in six divisional games in 2020. With 18 pressures in those three games, Bosa had no shortage of impact, but earning that first divisional sack in Week 1 against the Arizona Cardinals will likely be on his mind.
Looking towards the other 10 opponents of 2020, Bosa ought to be excited to face AFC East offensive lines like the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins, who gave up 52 and 58 sacks respectively, Miami’s being the worst in the NFL.
The New England Patriots only gave up 28 and the Buffalo Bills allowed 40, a generally better showing but still not impenetrable for a defensive line like San Francisco’s.
Looking toward the NFC East opponents, things are a bit tougher than the division’s AFC counterpart, but there’s really only one offensive line that looks to be ready for the 49ers and Bosa heading into 2020.
Bosa earned a sack against the Washington Redskins last season, who had the worst line of the division. The Dallas Cowboys finished just behind the Rams with the cleanest pass-blocking offensive line, allowing just 23 sacks. With no major departures, the Cowboys’ o-line ought to be impressive again.
The Philadelphia Eagles were a middle-of-the-pack offensive line in 2020, while the New York Giants barely eclipsed the Redskins in quality, prompting them to draft Georgia standout tackle Andrew Thomas with the fourth overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
The Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints round out the schedule, the former giving up two sacks in two games against Bosa in his rookie year.
New Orleans did not allow a pressure of any kind to Bosa in last year’s matchup, keeping QB Drew Brees clean for the entirety of the stellar 48-46 49ers win. In an anticipated rematch, the Saints will look to replicate that feat while the San Francisco defensive line and Bosa will be hungry to bring Brees down.
Charting Bosa’s Season
With Bosa’s previous season broken down and his 2020 opponents accounted for, here’s what the 49ers DE may be able to achieve in his second season.
- Week 1: Arizona Cardinals – 0 sacks
- Week 2: @New York Jets – 2 sacks
- Week 3: @New York Giants – 2 sacks
- Week 4: Philadelphia Eagles – 1 sack
- Week 5: Miami Dolphins – 1 sack
- Week 6: Los Angeles Rams – 0 sacks
- Week 7: @New England Patriots – 0 sacks
- Week 8: @Seattle Seahawks – 1 sack
- Week 9: Green Bay Packers – 1 sack
- Week 10: @New Orleans Saints – 0 sacks
- Week 11: BYE
- Week 12: @Los Angeles Rams – 0 sacks
- Week 13: Buffalo Bills – 2 sacks
- Week 14: Washington Redskins – 1 sack
- Week 15: @Dallas Cowboys – 0 sacks
- Week 16: @Arizona Cardinals – 1 sack
- Week 17: Seattle Seahawks – 1 sack
13 total sacks with three different multi-sack games seems is an unreal year, but seems like a reasonable expectation for Bosa after his rookie-year performances.
After a bit more rest and stability, Bosa put in his best work as a 49er in the playoffs. If he can start the 2020 season healthy unlike he did in 2019, Bosa could even smash through these expectations.
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Evan Reier is a sportswriter covering the San Francisco 49ers for Heavy.com and local sports for the Montana Standard in Butte, MT. Follow and reach out to him on Twitter at @evanreier.
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49ers’ Nick Bosa Primed for Major Sack Total Increase in 2020