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“With the first pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, the Arizona Cardinals select... Nick Bosa, defensive end, Ohio State.”
After the misery of the 2018 NFL season, that is what we expected to hear come April 25th when the Arizona Cardinals were on the clock in Nashville, Tennessee.
It may yet turn out that way, but for the most part, Bosa is a distant second in terms of mock draft projections.
And yet too many, Bosa is simply the best player in the 2019 NFL Draft.
Bosa is an elite physical specimen, with the size and agility to play on the edge in either a 34 or 43 defensive front.
He also has enough strength to move inside on passing downs, which makes his style and ability especially important to a team who just signed two edge rushers, but may lack a consistent inside rushing threat.
What Bosa offers as a rusher is a competence that is advanced for any prospect, like he was born into the pass rushing world.
Ohio State DE Nick Bosa showing power on an inside move to lift up the LT and get inside for a sack #NFLDraft #tOSU #Buckeyes pic.twitter.com/CPLPHyyxkf
— Brian Johannes (@Draft_Brian) September 3, 2018
He wins with hands and moves that trump almost any college prospect I can remember coming out.
#OhioState DE @nbsmallerbear is a problem. The favorite for the #1 pick in the NFL Draft had a day today. 8 QB hurries, four tackles, two sacks and recovered two fumbles — one for a TD. pic.twitter.com/O8PUwGaDZw
— uSTADIUM (@uSTADIUM) September 2, 2018
When it is just pass rush moves, you can see the athleticism as he is explosive off the edge as well.
The first half ends with a @nbsmallerbear sack. pic.twitter.com/utVRxKUiBN
— Ohio State on BTN (@OhioStateOnBTN) September 8, 2018
Nick Bosa - still a problem. Strip sack. pic.twitter.com/YaBT95POy5
— Ty Wurth (@WurthDraft) September 16, 2018
What surprises you the most about Bosa is he is also just devastating as a power rusher, but he rarely uses it.
Nick Bosa (@nbsmallerbear) uses better leverage, play strength & inside hands to floor the OL. Bosa then dives & sacks Mayfield! #Buckeyes #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/06mhfyeCFL
— DLineVids 2.0 (@dlinevids1) April 2, 2019
Nick Bosa (#97) has the natural gift of being able to translate his speed to power combined with advanced hand usage and brute strength. It’s easy to see why he’s considered to be a top draft pick next year. pic.twitter.com/qpVuNjUvxs
— Jordan Reid (@JReidNFL) May 7, 2018
The concerns with Bosa are of course the injury history. He has a torn ACL in high school, which only gets talked about because he then had a core injury which required surgery his final college season.
He’s as clean of a prospect on the field as I can remember and as ready made to have an impact as I can remember.
Therein lies one of the problems I don’t think gets talked about enough. He is pretty ready for the NFL, so is there enough room to grow? I think he is a 10-12 sack a year guy from year one, but I am wrong a lot.
If he is only an 7-9 sack a year guy is that a problem?
Bosa could offer the Cardinals the pass rush future they need, showing them to be ready for more than just 2019 and 2020.
Could he be the first pick for the Arizona Cardinals?