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Nick Bosa was the best defender in the NFL last season according to his Defensive Player of the Year award. He was not, however, the top-ranked edge player in a top-32 ranking from Pro Football Focus. He didn’t even land in the top two with Browns DE Myles Garrett ranked No. 1, and Cowboys DE Micah Parsons sitting at No. 2 ahead of Bosa.
Despite landing behind a pair of his contemporaries, Bosa is still ranked in the top tier along with the two players ahead of him, Steelers DE TJ Watt, Raiders DE Maxx Crosby and Chargers DE Joey Bosa (Nick’s brother, FYI).
PFF typically ranks the players 1-32, but with so much talent on the edges and the players affecting games in different ways, the analytics. site went to a tiered system. Bosa still got his shine via PFF’s Trevor Sikkema:
Bosa won the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year award in 2022, as he led the league in pressures (90), finished third in pass rush win percentage (21%), and was stout versus the run (82.6 run defense grade while missing zero tackles as a run defender).
Run defense is part of the reason Bosa is such a high level edge defender. Not only did he lead the league in sacks last season, but he doesn’t have to come off the field in run situations. Teams can’t eliminate him from games by just running to his side and bullying him.
This season could be particularly fruitful for Bosa and should see him in the mix for another DPOY. Part of it will depend on how the edge players opposite him develop, but the bigger deal will be the addition of defensive tackle Javon Hargrave. Having another game-wrecking pass rusher on the interior to line up alongside Bosa could allow the reigning sack leader to have an even bigger impact.
In a league with so many good edge players, there’s no denying Bosa is one of the very best, and a second consecutive DPOY win would make it hard to argue that many defenders are doing it better than him.
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