In a poll where coaches and executives ranked the best edge rushers entering 2024, Nick Bosa didn't even crack the top three.
There's a notable contrast between San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa's 2022 and 2023 campaigns.
In 2022, Bosa led the league with 18.5 sacks en route to being named the Defensive Player of the Year while finishing sixth in MVP voting. That turned into a relatively high-profile extension standoff that eventually led to him becoming the highest-paid defensive player in league history.
But the standoff cut into training camp, nearly leading to Bosa missing regular-season time. And though he returned in time for Week 1, he later admitted the holdout was a distraction.
Despite a fine 2023 campaign in which he recorded 10.5 sacks and made his fourth Pro Bowl, statistically, it was a down year.
Apparently, coaches and executives from around the NFL took notice.
ESPN poll snubs Nick Bosa from top 3 edge rushers entering 2024
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler (h/t Bleacher Report) compiled a poll of league coaches and executives, asking them to rank the 10 best edge rushers heading into 2024.
Bosa didn't even make the three best, instead coming in at No. 4:
- Myles Garrett (Cleveland Browns)
- T.J. Watt (Pittsburgh Steelers)
- Micah Parsons (Dallas Cowboys)
- Nick Bosa (San Francisco 49ers)
- Maxx Crosby (Las Vegas Raiders)
- Aidan Hutchinson (Detroit Lions)
- Danielle Hunter (Houston Texans)
- Josh Hines-Allen (Jacksonville Jaguars)
- Trey Hendrickson (Cincinnati Bengals)
- Brian Burns (New York Giants
In some regard, it makes sense. Garrett finished as the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year, while both Watt and Parsons finished directly behind him in voting.
As far as sacks go, Bosa's 10.5 put him way down the list in a tie for 17th most.
If there's a bonus to this, Bosa should have plenty of motivation to bounce back in response to this recent ranking, displaying the kind of effort that helped him achieve so much success two seasons ago.
If the Niners get that kind of Bosa back in 2024, it wouldn't be surprising whatsoever to see a redo of this list with San Francisco's defensive star at the very top.
