After a prolonged offseason holdout that lasted until just days before Week 1 (sounds familiar), Nick Bosa didn't start the 2023 season as strongly as he hoped, recording just one sack in his first four games. However, the San Francisco 49ers defensive end still finished with double-digit sacks (10.5) for the third consecutive season, adding two more in the playoffs.
While Bosa's 2023 campaign didn't match his 18.5-sack performance from the previous year, which earned him NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors, he remained a dominant force on the field.
ESPN released its annual NFL sack projections, placing Bosa with the third-highest total in the league, trailing only Micah Parsons of the Dallas Cowboys and Myles Garrett of the Cleveland Browns. Their statistical projection model shows that Bosa is expected to tally 11.4 sacks, compared to 13.6 for Parsons and Garrett. Obviously, 0.4 sacks is not a thing, so ESPN BET set the over/under for Bosa at 11.5 sacks.
"Bosa is a contrast to the two players at the top of this list, as has never flourished in pass rush win rate the way Parsons and Garrett have -- his 18% figure ranked 26th among players at all positions last season," wrote analytics expert Seth Walder. "But Bosa compiled 18.5 sacks in 2022 and is playing on one of the best teams in football, which works in his favor."
Another factor contributing to Bosa's third-place ranking is the 49ers' challenging schedule, which features opposing quarterbacks with some of the lowest sack rates, according to ESPN's statistical models.
Bosa earned Pro Football Focus's third-best pass-rushing grade (92.6) last season, trailing only Garrett (94.8) and Parsons (93.7). The analytics site also noted his win percentage at 22.3, the eighth-best in the NFL, with his 95 pressures during the regular season ranking third, behind Parsons (103) and Aidan Hutchinson of the Detroit Lions (101).
Bosa remains a crucial player for the 49ers, and even if his sack totals don't reach his previous heights, his impact on the game is undeniable. Fans are eager to see how often he can get to opposing quarterbacks this season.