With The First Pick
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Nick Bosa has chance to seal one of greatest rookie seasons ever

By Nicholas McGee

SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 19: Nick Bosa #97 of the San Francisco 49ers reacts after a play against the Green Bay Packers during the NFC Championship game at Levi's Stadium on January 19, 2020 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 19: Nick Bosa #97 of the San Francisco 49ers reacts after a play against the Green Bay Packers during the NFC Championship game at Levi's Stadium on January 19, 2020 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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Nick Bosa has enjoyed a dominant first year in the NFL and can cap one of the league’s great rookie seasons with victory in Super Bowl LIV.

Nick Bosa has already collected a plethora of accolades for his dominant first season in the NFL, and in Super Bowl LIV he has the chance to complete one of the greatest rookie years in the history of the league.

Bosa was voted to the Pro Bowl, selected for the All-Rookie Team by the Pro Football Writers of America, which also named him Rookie of the Year.

The second overall pick in the 2019 draft, the San Francisco 49ers pass rusher appears destined to earn the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year award. He is unlikely to replicate Lawrence Taylor in winning Defensive Player of the Year in his first season in the NFL, but Bosa can secure his rookie season will be remembered as one of the best ever if he can help the Niners to victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in Miami.

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Bosa had nine sacks in the 2019 regular season – he has since added three in the playoffs – but that tally does not do justice to the sheer amount of pressure he created off the edge. His 80 pressures were the most Pro Football Focus has recorded since it began collecting data, and he found other ways to influence the game beyond simply rushing the passer.

Indeed, Bosa’s all-around impact for the 49ers has been astonishing. Per PFF, his 20 run stops led all edge defenders, while he also registered 10 stops in coverage, his incredible interception against the Carolina Panthers undoubtedly the highlight of those.

With Dee Ford back in the lineup in the postseason, Bosa has performed at his most devastating, playing an instrumental role in two crushing defensive showings against the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers.

Few rookies have entered the league and made such a significant and varied impact for a Super Bowl team. For Bosa, the capper would be ensuring the 49ers slow down Patrick Mahomes and deliver a Super Bowl-winning defensive display.

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Should he succeed in doing so, then Bosa’s rookie year will deserve to be mentioned alongside Taylor’s as one of the finest of all time.