Former Ohio State defensive end Nick Bosa will make visits to the San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders this week, who own the No. 2 and No. 4 overall picks in this month's draft, respectively. Bosa has already met with the Arizona Cardinals, who hold the top pick.

But the Cardinals are planning to select former Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray, right?

First, it behooves Arizona to look into all of its options, including a pass rusher, even if the consensus is that it is going with a quarterback. You never know what might happen as the draft approaches. Maybe a potential trade alters its draft plans.

One NFL general manager sees the visits with Bosa another way. It is well-known around NFL circles that the 49ers are interested in the Ohio State product. Arizona likely knows this as well. The general manager recently told Albert Breer of The MMQB that the Cardinals' interest in Bosa might be an effort to entice the 49ers into making a move for the player who is assumed to be their favorite in this draft class.

"Speaking of the first pick, the Cardinals have, at the very least, gone through the motions with the consensus No. 1 prospect in the draft—Ohio State DE Nick Bosa," Breer wrote on Monday. "I had one GM theorize to me recently that they may be trying to push the 49ers to deal up one spot (as the Niners did with the Bears two years ago) to get him."

The 49ers are also reportedly very intrigued by former Alabama defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, who remains an option at the No. 2 pick. The Cardinals actually selecting Bosa might make that decision very easy or San Francisco could look to trade down and add to its six draft picks.


Maybe the 49ers' expressed interest in Williams is a smokescreen meant to make sure the Cardinals don't assume the NFC West-rival is 100 percent focused on Bosa. Maybe it is San Francisco telling Arizona to go ahead and get its quarterback because the 49ers have options. Or perhaps they are genuinely smitten with the idea of pairing Williams with Pro Bowl defensive tackle DeForest Buckner.

We'll know for sure in 17 days.