Pro Football Focus (PFF) did their annual ranking of the top 25 players under 25 entering the season, compiling a list of the many young stars that have taken over football in the past few years.
With the criteria being "under 25," several players graduated from PFF's rankings last year, including 49ers' star linebacker Fred Warner, who came in as the best player under 25 on PFF's list in 2021, which was ahead of Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, then-Tennessee Titans receiver A.J. Brown, and San Francisco's own Nick Bosa, who slotted in at two, three, and four, respectively on the list.
In their 2022 version, PFF ranked Bosa as their best player under 25 in 2022, ahead of quarterback Justin Herbert, running back Jonathan Taylor, and most notably, fellow edge rusher/linebacker Micah Parsons, who came in at second, third, and sixth respectively on the list.
Here's what PFF had to say about Bosa:
"Bosa racked up 47 tackles, nine sacks, a forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and an interception in 16 games and 14 starts across his rookie season. The sky was the limit going into his sophomore campaign, but unfortunately, he tore his ACL in Week 2 and missed the remainder of the year. Then, in 2021, he recorded 15.5 sacks with an elite 90.0 pass-rush grade. When on the field, he's been every bit of the player he was hyped to be coming out of Ohio State."
Bosa's spectacular season is one of the reasons why many analysts speculate he'll receive a massive extension which should top those that both Joey Bosa and T.J. Watt received recently.
The 49ers, as expected, exercised Bosa's fifth-year option for 2023 at $17.8 million, although that number could change with a potential extension.
Earlier this offseason, the 49ers sought to give Bosa help on the defensive line, signing former Indianapolis Colts edge rusher Kemoko Turay and drafting USC edge rusher Drake Jackson in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Jackson had high praise for Bosa following the draft and notified the media that Bosa did indeed reach out to him after the 49ers selected him.
"He said, 'Hey, what's up, man? Welcome to the squad,'" Jackson said prior to rookie minicamp.
You can read the rest of PFF's top 25 under 25 rankings here.