The 49ers have a handful of massive, difficult personnel questions they’ll need to address over the next couple of years. Whether because of age, contract status, cost or all of the above, San Francisco’s core is going to start looking different. While there are certainly reasons for concern about the club’s long-term window, one piece ensures they still have a key young piece to build around.
Defensive end Nick Bosa, who is expected to receive a lucrative long-term extension before, or at the start of, training camp, was listed as the second-best non-quarterback building block in the NFL by NFL Media’s Bucky Brooks.
The only player ahead of Bosa is Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons, but the gap between the players isn’t particularly wide. Via Brooks:
The younger brother of Joey Bosa has taken the family business to another level since entering the league as the second overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. The All-Pro pass rusher has notched 43 sacks in 51 career games, including 34 sacks since 2021. As a polished technician with violent hands and a relentless motor, Bosa whips opponents with various maneuvers that keep blockers guessing at the line of scrimmage. Given his consistency and effectiveness as a disruptive defender on edge, the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year is the cornerstone defender that every NFL executive is looking to add to the lineup.
Paying Bosa, who doesn’t turn 26 until the middle of the 2023 season, and making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL shouldn’t be a difficult decision for the 49ers for all the reasons Brooks listed.
As long as No. 97 is lining up on the edge, San Francisco’s pass rush is going to be at least adequate. For offenses, running to his side is going to be a chore.
The 49ers haven’t been able to find a franchise cornerstone at quarterback. In the meantime they’ve constructed a very good defense to help lighten the load on the offense. If a team can’t have a franchise QB, having a player who can regularly make life difficult on opposing QBs is the next best thing. San Francisco has the latter and should for the foreseeable future.
