New San Francisco 49ers pass rusher Nick Bosa spoke to Bay Area reporters via a conference call after being made the No. 2 overall pick. Here is everything he had to say.
Transcript provided by the San Francisco 49ers Communications staff.
Did you have a pretty strong feeling you might end up with the 49ers?
"I had a decent feeling, but I was definitely pretty ready for anything because you never know with this process."
During the pre-draft process, just what were your visits like with the Niners? What kind of impression did you have of this place and this franchise?
"I mean, when I visited the Niners, they knew I wanted to go there. I knew they were an unbelievable fit for me, and the people just made me feel really comfortable. The area is super nice. I mean, it's definitely an amazing fit and I'm excited to go to work."
In what ways is it an amazing fit?
"Just the 4-3, pass rushing, edge setting defense. I mean, it's just exactly what I've been doing all my life. I think I'll hop in and acclimate pretty quick."
Was the first time you met general manager John Lynch when you were down at Ohio State's practice late last season?
"Yeah. I meet [vice president of player personnel] Adam Peters and John Lynch, and it's pretty funny that that was the start of our relationship, and now it's here."
For rookies it's so important to be put in a good situation. You join a defensive line with guys like DL Dee Ford and DL DeForest Buckner. How much do you look forward to playing next to them, and what does that do for a pass rusher to not have all the attention on you?
"It's unbelievable. Just to be on a team that really shouldn't have been this high in the draft with all the talent that they have, and then they add Dee Ford, which just makes this D-Line pretty scary, yeah just having, it's pretty impossible to double team any of us because then you're single teaming one of us. It's going to be fun."
Considering that your brother plays in a very similar defense, is it easy to envision how the 49ers are going to use you in this defense?
"Yeah. I mean, it was pretty clear to me on my visit how they were going to use me, and I think it's very similar to what I did at Ohio State. A few different things, but I'll just pick those things up quick and it'll be a quick transition."
Did you have a chance to talk to Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murray and tell him you're going to see him on Halloween?
"No, I congratulated him, though, and I'm definitely excited to get after him, though."
When you showed up at the StubHub Center, I guess, in December, was that a surprise to your team? Did your teammates know that you were going to show up there?
"No, I actually kept it, I told a couple teammates, but I showed up and it was just a really good experience to see my guys again. I mean, I missed them a lot, so it was good to see all them."
How does it feel to be part of a defensive line that has four other first-round picks on it?
"I mean, it's going to be a high expectation for the group, but I'm just excited to get to work with them and learn from them and show them what I know and just get after it as a team. I'm glad to be on a team finally."
This might be a silly question, but how much do you just miss playing football?
"I miss it a lot, man. You don't realize until you're aware from it for so long. I'm itching to get out there. I really am."
Head coach Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch both talked about how good of a teammate they thought you were just from being around that practice that you mentioned and talking to teammates. In your mind what makes you a good teammate?
"I mean, I just really relate to all my guys. I'm not a vocal leader, as in like a rah-rah guy, but I'll get on you if you're a young guy and I think you're not doing something the right way, and I'll give you a tip or whenever I tell you something, it usually means something, and it's usually something that's coming from my heart because I don't usually speak unless it is something from my heart. I just think I had a great relationship with pretty much everybody on my team, and I'm just an easy guy to relate to."
Your social media posts have a strong conservative slant. I know you told ESPN you deleted some posts just because you might end up in the Bay Area. What is your plan with social media, and I guess does it give you any pause coming to an area that is not so conservative?
"No, I love the Bay Area, and I'm excited to play there. I was a little insensitive in some of the things I said, so I've learned a lot in the past few months, and I'm just ready to move forward from that, put it in the past, and bring the Faithful some wins."
Regarding that, it was reported just Monday that you had liked Instagram posts of a friend when you were in high school that had racist and homophobic hashtags. If that is accurate, what is your response to that?
"I was a 16-year-old scrolling through my Instagram and I liked a picture of somebody I knew with a girl. There was nothing racist about the picture. Obviously, there were some bad things said in the hashtags, but obviously I didn't read those, and as a 16-year-old in high school you kind of don't think something like that will come back and bite you, so that's that."
