It looked like the 49ers’ Week 15 win over the Seattle Seahawks spelled the end of their quest to add Nick Bosa, the 2019 draft’s consensus top edge rusher. Pre-draft pontification, coaching changes, and a couple of underclass draft declarations have cleared the once inaccessible path between the 49ers and the Ohio State star. With the combine just days away, San Francisco’s chances to get Bosa seem more likely than ever.
A recent mock draft by the Ringer’s Danny Kelly has Alabama defensive lineman Quinnen Williams going first overall to the Arizona Cardinals. This is a scenario Luke Easterling of the Draft Wire has also pushed forward in a variety of projections.
Bosa sliding out of the top spot seemed inconceivable two months ago, but Vance Joseph signing on as the Cardinals’ defensive coordinator and bringing a 3-4 defense that benefits from a dominant interior presence in the pass rush. Easterling also points out in his latest mock that Arizona has a very good edge presence with Chandler Jones. If the Cardinals are happy with Jones and think Williams is Aaron Donald, there’s no chance they skip him with the first pick.
Another possibility is one of the quarterback-needy teams selling the farm to jump to No. 1 ahead of the bevy of other clubs searching for a signal-caller. Or things can get really weird and Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury will keep his word and draft Kyler Murray first overall, although that seems highly unlikely. A quarterback going first is perfect for San Francisco, who would follow that team to the podium to immediately select Bosa after the first pick was made.
Of course, there’s always the scenario where the Cardinals have Bosa at the top of their draft board and they take him because he’s the best player available. The odds still lean heavily that way, but the certainty that Bosa is the surefire top pick in the draft is fading.
The NFL combine in Indianapolis should start providing a little more clarity as to how draft boards look. Dramatic things can happen over those six days between workouts, meetings and other tests. Draft stocks can skyrocket or plummet, and the information flow picks up heavily.
Nick Bosa landing in San Francisco is still a pretty lofty dream for the 49ers. A lot of things have to go their way. However, the sequence of events that needs to happen for Bosa to slip off the top spot in the draft will begin Tuesday at the combine. There’ll be plenty to watch during that week, but a potential chance in the consensus No. 1 overall pick will be the most important thing happening for the 49ers.
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