It’s nearly impossible to block 49ers rookie defensive end Nick Bosa.
The numbers match the eye test when it comes to Bosa’s productivity as a pass rusher in his first season. He regularly affects the opposing quarterback, and was clearly doing so even before his breakout game in Week 5 against Cleveland when he had 2.0 sacks.
Bosa has a relatively pedestrian 3.0 sacks this season, but Dane Brugler of the Athletic tweeted some pretty eye-popping stats about Bosa’s ability to generate pressure on the quarterback:
That’s right. Bosa is creating pressure at a higher clip than any other pass rusher in the league, including the likes of Khalil Mack and Aaron Donald.
This is the perfect outcome for San Francisco in Bosa’s first five games. They needed a game wrecker on the edge, and affecting the opposing quarterback every nine or so snaps is one way to immediately destroy an offensive game plan.
All signs point to Bosa posting some remarkable numbers once he starts regularly finishing sacks. He had one taken away on a bad call against the Browns, but he’s flat out missed at least two others. If he keeps producing at this rate for the rest of the year, a Defensive Rookie of the Year award is likely on the way, along with a playoff berth for the 49ers.
