1. JOEY BOSA | Ohio State 6052|269 lbs|3JR Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (St. Thomas Aquinas) 7/11/1995 (age 20) #97
YEAR (GP/GS) TKLS TFL SACK FF GRADE 1st Round 2013: (14/10) 44 13.5 7.5 0 MEASUREABLES Arm: 33 3/8 | Hand: 10 1/4 | Wingspan: 79 3/4 2014: (15/15) 55 21.0 13.5 4 COMBINE 40-YD: 4.86 | 10-YD: 1.68 | 20-YD: 2.83 | BP: 24 | VJ: 32 | BJ: 10’00” | SS: 4.21 | 3C: 6.89 2015: (12/12) 51 16.0 5.0 1 PRO DAY 40-YD: 4.77 | 10-YD: 1.65 | 20-YD: 2.75 | BP: 28 | VJ: 31.5 | BJ: 10’01” Total: (41/37) 150 50.5 26.0 5
BACKGROUND: A four-star recruit out of high school, Bosa was wooed by every top program in the country and passed on offers from Alabama, Florida and Florida State to head north and commit to the Buckeyes. He saw immediate action as a true freshman with 10 starts and finished second on the team with 7.5 sacks, earning Honorable Mention All-Big Ten and numerous Freshman All-American honors. A unanimous All-American as a sophomore, Bosa started all 15 games in 2014 and was the Big Ten’s Nagurski-Woodson Defensive Player of the Year, leading the conference in tackles for loss (21.0) and sacks (13.5) and helping the Buckeyes win the inaugural College Football Playoffs. He was suspended for the season opener in 2015, but started the final 12 games and led the Buckeyes with 16.0 tackles for loss and 14 quarterback hurries, adding 51 tackles and 5.0 sacks to earn Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year and First Team All-Big Ten honors. Bosa considered staying for his senior season to play with his brother in Columbus (incoming freshman Nick Bosa), but opted to enter the 2016 NFL Draft.
STRENGTHS: Grown-man strength with NFL build and body strength…balanced athlete with natural bend, flexibility and initial quickness…controls his momentum well and easily converts his first step to power, sinking and rushing with low pad level to put blockers on skates…athletic repertoire of rush moves with an innate understanding of how to use his hands and length to set up moves…comfortable on his feet to drop and play in space…excellent secondary quickness and doesn’t take himself out of plays due to his hustle and ball awareness – game comes natural to him…stacks and leverages blocks to stay home, hold outside contain and filter the action inside…natural core power and knows how to use it, rarely playing on his heels…very good break down skills to reset his eyes, collect himself and finish…violent striker and doesn’t miss tackles when he’s in the area…plays with a high degree of toughness and accustomed to facing double and triple teams…tryhard competitor and beats himself up after negative plays – performs angry with focus to eliminate those mistakes…reserved personality and avoids the spotlight off the field…athletic bloodlines – father (John) played defensive tackle at Boston College and was a first round pick in the 1987 NFL Draft (16th overall), playing three years in the NFL, and uncle (Eric Kumerow) was an Ohio State linebacker and captain (1984-87)…productive resume with 50.5 tackles for loss and 26.0 sacks over his 37 career starts – core member of 2015 National Championship team.
WEAKNESSES: Not a quick-twitch rusher or elite explosion athlete…still developing his body mechanics as an edge rusher and needs to improve his inside shoulder dip…too reactionary at times with room to improve his anticipation…will occasionally misread option and zone plays and needs to maintain his gap and outside responsibilities…snap discipline needs tweaked (five offsides penalties in two-game stretch in 2015)…sack production was underwhelming in 2015…suspended for the 2015 season opener due to a violation of team rules (Marijuana) – carries himself with an ultra-laidback personality, which will be a turn off for some.
SUMMARY: A three-year starter, Bosa lined up in a three-point stance, mostly at left defensive end, but also on the right side and sometimes inside as a threetechnique or standing up as a spying linebacker. He is very physically gifted, but even better, he knows how to use those gifts and works his tail off to maximize his potential. Bosa has the athletic and power traits, but it’s also his instincts, preparation and understanding of leverage that allow him to be successful, setting up his moves and recognizing scheme tendencies. He has swift, but heavy hands to beat blockers with upper and lower body quickness, creating separation and seeing through bodies to make stops – Ohio State defensive coordinator Luke Fickell probably said it best: “there’s nothing he can’t do.” Although he might not be a consistent double-digit sack artist in the NFL, Bosa is a scheme-versatile player with the dominant traits to consistently impact the game vs. the pass and the run at the next level – a true candidate for the top-five overall picks, projecting as a better version of New England Patriots defensive end Chris Long.