No. 3 – Nick Bosa, San Francisco 49ers
What ESPN says
Bosa surpassed expectations in the voting, and made a serious push for the No. 1 overall spot.
The league is envious of the 49ers for stealing Bosa No. 2 overall in 2019 thanks in part to Jimmy Garoppolo missing 13 games the year before.
“Jimmy G’s busted knee was a blessing,” one NFL general manager said. “Motor, speed, smart, hard to block.”
One exec whose team played the 49ers last year was impressed — and frustrated — watching Bosa in person, pointing out his nine sacks don’t do him justice.
“We literally had no answer for him,” the exec said. “Completely dominated us.”
To be sure, Bosa is fortunate to play on a dynamic defensive line across the board. And he’s more of a compact rusher than one who dominates with length. But evaluators say his talent stands alone.
“It’s very difficult to be impactful as rookie, even for great players,” a longtime defensive line coach said. “He did that as well as anybody I can think of. Great quickness and speed.”
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