OLB Joey Bosa Gets Mad Props From LT Joe Thomas

There isn’t much for the San Diego Chargers to be happy about now. But they have to be happy they drafted edge-rusher Joey Bosa No. 3 overall this year.

The San Diego Chargers aren’t very good this year because they have too many injuries. But they have a lot to look forward to as they get healthy next year. And they have the comfort of knowing they have drafted well in the first round the last couple of years.

This year, it was Joey Bosa, whom the team haggled with over finances with before finally signing him. And he’s done nothing but make the Chargers organization look silly for all that haggling. And he wasted no time doing so with four sacks in his first three games.

Then after a 3-game drought, he has at least a portion of a sack in his last four games. So now, Bosa has 7.5 sacks despite missing the first four games with that contract dispute. With two games left to go, he still has a legitimate shot to get to 10.

But more important than stats is how your peers view you as players look at game film of the opponents. And Bosa certainly does not come up short in that department. He now has Cleveland Browns left tackle Joe Thomas attention ahead of facing him in Cleveland Saturday.

Thomas told Ohio.com. “As far as rookies go, [Bosa] he’s the most polished pass rusher that I’ve ever seen,. He’s got a natural instinct about counter pass-rush moves and using his hands to beat an offensive lineman that you don’t really see out of rookies.

“He looks like an eight-year vet out there the way he tries to get after the quarterback. Another thing that always stands out when you watch him is just the effort.”

That’s high praise coming from a future Hall of Fame player that’s likely accurate. He called 2014 No. 5 overall pick Khalil Mack “the next Lawrence Taylor” when he first came into the league. And if you look what he’s doing now, you can see Thomas has a good eye.

Bosa has quite a future!