The 49ers nailed their selection of defensive end NIck Bosa at No. 2 overall in the 2019 NFL Draft. The rookie from Ohio State is a big reason why San Francisco is 7-0 going into Thursday's Week 9 game against the Cardinals (8:20 p.m. ET, Fox, NFL Network and Amazon Prime Video).
There's also every reason to believe that Bosa is not only the league's runaway Defensive Rookie of the Year, but is also a leading strong candidate for Defensive Player of the Year. One more thing: There have been many great seasons put up by defensive rookies in the 100-year history of the NFL, but Bosa is on track to have the best one ever.
With three more sacks against the Panthers in the Niners' 51-13 rout in Week 8, he is up to seven in seven games. He also nearly scored while returning the first interception of his career. That sack total has Bosa on pace for 16, which would best the rookie record (14.5) set by the Titans' Jevon Kearse in 1999.
Bosa was named the NFC's Defensive Player of the Week for the second time in Week 8. The first time he won the award, in Week 5, he ripped the Browns for two sacks and a forced fumble.
Like that Monday night against the Browns, Bosa will be on a national stage Thursday night against the Cardinals. Arizona has offered terrible pass protection for QB Kyler Murray, the No. 1 overall pick this year; it has allowed 26 sacks in eight games. The 49ers are up to 27 after getting seven against the Panthers. Nothing has to give for Bosa to put together another monster game vs. the player taken one spot ahead of him and adding to his rookie credentials.
VIDEO: 49ers-Panthers game highlights
Bosa, who also has been a dominant run defender, was the final piece San Francisco needed to have an elite pass defense built on its front-four pass rush. Most importantly, his team is now looking like the clear team to beat in the NFC and a growing favorite to get to Super Bowl 54.
To confirm Bosa's projected status as the GOAT DROY, we need to go back in time and compare what he's doing to the past studs. The 1960s before the AFL-NFL merger are where we'll first find good competition for him.
You need to start with two tackling-machine linebackers: Dick Butkus (Bears, 1965) and Tommy Nobis (Falcons, 1966). There's no doubt they were unstoppable forces at the time, but neither men's efforts resulted in a Chicago or Atlanta championship shot. In 1964, a year before Butkus, safety Paul Krause had 12 interceptions for Washington, but the Redskins were a losing non-playoff team.
In terms of edge rushers such as Kearse and Bosa, you must move on to consider the Giants' Lawrence Taylor in 1981. A year before sacks became an official stat, Taylor had 9.5. He won both DROY and Defensive Player of the Year because he hinted at his future all-out devastation. But New York finished in third in the NFC East that season, five years before Taylor led its defense to victory in Super Bowl 21.
MORE: Bosa mocks Mayfield with flag-plant pantomime
The only dominant rookie defender to help deliver a championship to his team was Lions cornerback Dick "Night Train" Lane in 1952, when Detroit went 9-3 en route to defeating Cleveland for the NFL title. He produced 14 interceptions, which is still an NFL record, returning them for a combined 298 yards and two touchdowns.
Taylor and Lane certainly have strong cases to not be displaced, but let's keep in mind that Bosa is just getting revved up. He was limited early in the season coming off an ankle injury; he started just five of team's first seven games. Six of his seven sacks have come in October. The 49ers' depth and talent on the defensive line make it difficult for opponents to double-team Bosa in any situation. He's taking over games, hitting quarterbacks and disrupting backfields the way J.J. Watt in his recent prime did.
WATT INJURY: Torn pec ends his season
Without Bosa, the 49ers would not be enjoying this big turnaround in total defense and an undefeated season. He sets the tone for everything defensive coordinator Robert Saleh wants to do. He is the team's unquestioned MVP.
Bosa has not only made a name for himself in the NFL apart from his brother Joey, the Chargers' stud defense lineman, he also has proved what many scouts thought — that he has an even higher ceiling as a playmaker.
Should he keep approaching that massive upside in the immediate future, he will have played like no defensive rookie in the league has before, in relation to his era. A sweep of both top defensive awards and a run at a ring are firmly in play, and there's a chance of Bosa booming faster and bigger than even the 49ers could have imagined.
