Sometimes an NFL draft falls perfectly in a team’s favor. The prevalent rumors leading up to the 2019 draft put the 49ers in an enviable position. If quarterback Kyler Murray, or defensive lineman Quinnen Williams, go first overall, San Francisco is ostensibly picking as if they have the top pick. They’ll have the ability to fill the biggest hole on their roster with the top player at that position. That’s why Ohio State defensive end Nick Bosa is a no-brainer selection for the 49ers if he drops to No. 2 in the draft.
Bosa is widely considered the top player in the draft. He checks all the boxes for a 4-3 defensive end. He measured out at 6-3, 266 pounds at the combine and tested well across the board.
His well-refined pass rushing technique allowed him to be a consistently monstrous pass rusher in three years for the Buckeyes. Bosa had 17.5 sacks and 29.0 tackles for loss in 29 games. A core muscle injury required surgery and limited him to only three games in his third and final season in Columbus.
That injury is fully healed and shouldn’t be a chronic issue moving forward. Eliminating concerns about that injury erase perhaps the biggest knock on Bosa’s evaluation.
This isn’t to say Bosa is on track to be an MVP-caliber player, but he appears to be the best player in the draft. The 49ers still need help on the edge despite acquiring Dee Ford in a trade with the Chiefs. Scooping up Bosa to put on the opposite side of Ford would round out a once anemic 49ers pass rush with a bonafide, game-wrecking defensive end.
It’s simply a matter of simplifying the draft. The 49ers have a glaring weakness. Bosa would be the best player available while simultaneously filling need. Getting a player who checks both the ‘best player available’ and ‘player who best fills a need’ boxes is the ideal situation for a team’s first-round pick.
If Bosa falls to the second-overall pick, it’s nearly impossible to imagine him getting past San Francisco. The 49ers would solidify their pass rush and suddenly find themselves capable of a wholesale change on defense. They need a franchise-changing move, and Bosa has the skill set to grow into a franchise-changing player in Year 1.
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