San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa is the highest-ranked defender following his rookie season in the history of the NFL Top 100 Players. NFL Media analyst Charley Casserly, however, believes the second-year defender and reigning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year should have been listed even higher than his No. 17 ranking.
Five NFL.com analysts named their perceived biggest snubs from the NFL Top 100 Players of 2020's top 10. While Casserly notes that he feels those who ended up among the top-ranked were very deserving, he believes Bosa to be one of the 10 best players in the league, even after just one NFL season.
"The Defensive Rookie of the Year, who finished with nine sacks and 25 QB hits last season, jumped on the scene as a disruptive player who had to be double-teamed no matter where he lined up," wrote Casserly. "If he didn't receive that level of attention from offenses, he took the game over."
San Francisco drafted Bosa out of Ohio State with the No. 2 overall pick in 2019. He registered 47 tackles to go along with his nine sacks, adding two passes defensed, an interception, and a forced fumble through 16 games last season. He earned a Pro Bowl selection along the way and proved to be a force in the playoffs, adding four more sacks, including one in the Super Bowl.
"The rookie was the missing link in the 49ers defense, as it didn't have a big outside rushing presence until his arrival," added Casserly. "The addition of Dee Ford helped, but Bosa was the player opponents game-planned against."
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