The San Francisco 49ers used the second overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft on an impact defensive player Thursday night.
The Niners selected defensive end Nick Bosa, who should compete immediately for playing time.
The 6-foot-3, 266-pound Bosa gives the San Francisco defense a formidable pass-rushing duo when considering he'll team up with Dee Ford, whom the Niners acquired in a trade in March, on the edges.
While a core muscle injury last year led to an early end of his collegiate career at Ohio State, Bosa totaled 17.5 career sacks in three seasons and finished his collegiate career as the 2017 Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year.
According to NFL Media draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah, who had Bosa ranked as the top draft prospect in 2019, the defensive end can win off the edge with "quickness, power and a variety of hand moves." Jeremiah also points out that Bosa utilizes a lot of the same moves as his older brother, Joey, who is one of the NFL's top pass rushers for the Los Angeles Chargers.
Meanwhile, the Niners have made defensive upgrades during the offseason with the addition of Ford and linebacker Kwon Alexander.
The selection of Bosa shows a firm commitment by general manager John Lynch to defense, a unit that had a respectable 13th ranking overall in 2018.
Bosa becomes the fourth member of his family to be selected in the first round in the modern draft era:
