Elite pass rushers are rare in the NFL, and Ohio State defensive end Joey Bosa has the potential to be one. Should the Minnesota Vikings try to draft him?
If you have been paying attention in free agency, you’ll notice that more money than ever is being used to help stop opposing teams from passing the football. Absurd amounts of money are being thrown at pass rushers and cornerbacks in hopes that they can help make teams one-dimensional.
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Ohio State defensive end Joey Bosa will be a top selection in the 2016 NFL Draft. There isn’t a talent quite like him when it comes to sacking quarterbacks and disrupting things in the backfield. In just three seasons, Bosa accumulated 26 sacks and 51 tackles for a loss for the Buckeyes despite facing double teams very often. Showcasing a variety of pass rush moves and great agility, there hasn’t been a college left tackle who has consistently gotten the better of him yet.
There isn’t much that Bosa will have to change when he gets to the NFL level. He will need to work harder to stay on his feet and keep leverage against powerful blockers, but should also work on snap anticipation to keep from getting unnecessary offsides penalties from misjudging snap times and falling for hard counts.
Here are Ohio State defensive end Joey Bosa’s numbers from the events at the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine according to NFL.com:
Height: 6’5″
Joey Bosa compares to:
- CBS Sports: Jared Allen, Retired
- NFL.com: Ryan Kerrigan, Redskins
Fit for the Minnesota Vikings:
A guy like Joey Bosa would be a wonder for the Minnesota Vikings. For a team that values pass rushers at all times, getting a player of his caliber would allow the team to give guys like Brian Robison and Everson Griffen more breaks to keep them fresh as well as provide a future starter for when Robison takes on a lesser role for the team.
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My Take:
There is absolutely no way that Bosa is still available when the Vikings select at #23 overall. In fact, Bosa is in contention to be the #1 overall selection if a team trades up for a pass rusher, which wouldn’t be surprising considering how hard it is to find a young player to feature on your defensive front. However, Minnesota won’t be trading up to get Bosa, but whatever team does land him should be getting a quality starter for many, many years.