San Francisco 49ers: Nick Bosa could help defense defensemen

Nick Bosa's junior season with Ohio State has begun in a promising way.

The talented defender has recorded four sacks in his first three games in 2018, hoping to strengthen himself as the country's best defensive player. Of course, this would also help cement his future in the NFL, while he was supposed to be the first prospect in 2019, even before the start of the season.

But in the third half of the second half against TCU in September, Bosa felt a sharp pain in the abdomen and hit the game, demanding the attention of the medical staff. He quickly realized that his university career might be over sooner than expected.

"I knew my season was under threat and a doctor confirmed that. It was tough, but it had to be done, "Bosa told reporters at the NFL scouting meeting Saturday in Indianapolis.

It took months of rehab to join his teammates and complete a bid for the college football game. But about a month later, Bosa chose to spend the rest of the season preparing for the NFL draft, as his professional future and millions of dollars would be there.

"When that happened, when I got home after this TCU match, I was lying in my bed, I could barely have it. It was one of the darkest moments of my life so far, "Bosa said. "For me, talking with my family and letting them raise me and let me know that my life is always good and that I still have incredible blessings and a bright future, that's what helped me move on to through. "

The history of the combine from the 49ers' point of view was the rise of Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray, whose size has been questioned since the beginning of the week when his supreme athlete helped him win the Heisman Trophy last season.

Murray was measured with 5-foot 10 1/8 inches, 207 pounds and 9 1/2 inches hands. These marks are generally considered strong enough to break the quarter thresholds and Murray is the first player in the April 25th draft, either by the Arizona Cardinals, or by a team to which they traded. first choice.

Of course, this scenario means that the best defensive player could fall to San Francisco's second choice. And the general opinion is that Bosa would be the choice to help solve the team's long-standing defense issues.

Bosa – who measures nearly 6 feet 4 inches, 266 pounds and has 29 reps on the press bench – is leading a talented group of defensive line prospects that could allow the 49ers to negotiate to acquire a different pass while accumulating more drafts.

"I would say it's a great year to look for D-linemen in general," said General Manager John Lynch this week. "It's as strong of a class as the last eight years at the defensive line."

Bosa plans to be a full participant in Sunday's practice handsets, although his holding capacity is only recent. He told reporters that he had scheduled meetings with teams of the first eight picks of the first round, including Arizona.

"I'm training at full speed for a few months, but I really feel like me, without feeling pain after, probably a few weeks," he said. "The most difficult part is the beginning. It's a unique injury in that it's literally the muscle that was breathing, coughing, going to the bathroom. It's your central muscle, it's something different from what I've done before. It's really progressive, small steps. Once you're done, I feel better than I've ever felt at the moment. "

Bosa recorded 17 1/2 sacks and 29 tackles for a loss in three seasons at Ohio State. It's a solid and powerful prospect and a mirror image of his brother, Joey, who has 28.5 sacks in 33 games since winning the # 3 Chargers in 2016.

Nick Bosa was supposed to be one of the best hopes of the NFL since high school. But the injury to the groin, above a partially torn ACL that ended his career in high school early, could cause concern about its durability.

Injuries have been such a pressing issue for 49ers coaches Kyle Shanahan and Lynch in the past two seasons that the club has sacked head coach Jeff Ferguson and strong coach Ray Wright. The 49ers recently hired Ben Peterson, who manages the club's medical and training staff under one title, to create more continuity than former staff members. Peterson's assessment of Bosa may end up deciding whether Bosa is wearing a 49ers helmet next fall.

Injuries aside, Shanahan said this week that he had trouble identifying defensive linemen in the past (which includes choosing the first round of 2017, Solomon Thomas, who did not become a player who will make the difference with San Francisco during his two seasons).

"I asked some of the best D-line coaches I could ever imagine, and they say it's a dunk slam, and it does not succeed," Shanahan said. "And then there is another direction too. Every story can contradict everything you say is the right answer … That's why we talk about it, think about it, do it all because you have to do it, because there are many variables. "

Josh Allen (Kentucky), Brian Burns (State of Florida), Montez Sweat (State of Mississippi) and Clelin Ferrell (Clemson) could meet San Francisco's needs.

Allen is widely regarded as one of the top five hopes and should behave well on Sunday. He measured 6 feet 4 7/8 and 262 pounds with arms 33 1/2 inches, half an inch more than Bosa's. Allen had 17 sacks last season for the Wildcats despite longer coverage as linebacker.

Nevertheless, most evaluators believe that there is a considerable talent gap between Bosa and Allen. Maybe Bosa will take advantage of his disappointment last fall to motivate him to stand out from the beginning of the pros.

"(My season) has just been ripped off," he said. "It's something I'll always think about again."