Nick Bosa did really well in 2022, he was the best at getting to the quarterback with 18. 5 He also got a special award for being the best defensive player in the NFL for the first time.
He might only be beginning. This happened because Bosa had an easier time getting to the quarterback when the 49ers signed Javon Hargrave from the Eagles in March.
“I’m really happy,” Bosa said to the reporters about the move. “We’ve been watching videos of him for the last few years in Philadelphia. ” Each time we see him, Kris (the 49ers defensive line coach) would praise him a lot. We think he is one of the best at decorating the inside of a building, especially when it comes to getting past the other team’s players. Having him with us will be really helpful.
The 49ers already had a strong defensive line in the NFL, with Bosa and Armstead leading the way. But with Hargrave, San Francisco becomes one of the best.
“He’s really down to earth,” Hargrave said about his first meetings with Bosa. “Since I was the Defensive Player of the Year, he made sure to welcome me and help me get up to speed. ” It’s like a family.
The player has been in the NFL for seven years. Last year, he played his best season for the Eagles. He got 11 sacks, which was the most in his career. This helped the Eagles to have the most sacks in the league during the regular season. Eagles player Haason Reddick got 16 sacks, which is the most in his career. This was possible because Hargrave was consistently pushing the pocket inside.
Kocurek said Hargrave was his top choice for free agents, but he didn’t know if the 49ers would be able to sign him. In the end, San Francisco agreed to pay Hargrave $84 million over four years. He will get $40 million no matter what.
“It’s just one more part of the big picture,” Kocurek told reporters about signing Hargrave. This puzzle piece is really talented. I have been watching Javon in his career, and he has always been a very talented player.
I believe that in the past few years in Philadelphia, he has stood out from many other interior players in the game, especially when it comes to putting pressure on the quarterback and winning one-on-one situations. Only a few guys in the NFL have won as much as he has.
According to Next Gen Stats, Hargrave put pressure on the quarterback 17. 4% of the time from Week 11 to the NFC Championship game. This was the highest percentage out of 75 defensive tackles who rushed the quarterback at least 100 times.
The 49ers have had a hard time finding two defensive tackles to play well together since they traded DeForest Buckner to the Indianapolis Colts in 2019. Armstead didn’t play in eight games because of foot and ankle injuries last year. Javon Kinlaw, who also plays at tackle, only played in nine games because of a knee problem.
Hargrave is very good at being there for his team, and he only missed three games in seven years in the NFL.
“Last year, we had a lot of changes in the interior guys we had, and we didn’t have Arik or Javon,” Bosa said. “New people were joining and participating in games after only being here for a week. ” That’s just not good for our plan. You really want to practice with coach [Kocurek] during the off-season and learn the details of playing inside. I think playing inside is mentally more challenging in our system than playing on the outside.
This year Kevin Givens is getting better and better. We have “Thank you”. McGill has spent an extra year here. And now Javon Kinlaw, Javon Hargrave, and Arik are all doing really well. It looks like we have more players to choose from. If we can switch players in and out, we can play with the energy and strength we need to play with.
Coach Shanahan knows it’s time for the 49ers to try to win the Super Bowl, and signing Hargrave shows this.
After not doing well last season, San Francisco didn’t have a healthy quarterback. Now, Shanahan and 49ers general manager John Lynch are trying their best to win the title in 2023.
The 49ers want to sign Bosa to a long contract. Bosa thinks it can happen before training camp starts.” I believe I will receive what I should,” he stated.
