2016 NFL Draft: Joey Bosa Hate Has Gone Too Far

Once considered to be the easily the best prospect in the 2016 NFL Draft, Ohio State DE Joey Bosa is slipping in the minds of some around the league. Has the hate gone too far on the former Buckeye star?

With great explosive ability, athleticism and strength, Joey Bosa is one of the top prospects in the 2016 NFL Draft class. He had an incredibly productive career at the Ohio State University, and is set to wreak havoc on the NFL.

Bosa is a great defensive end prospect, but he is not your typical outside rusher. Bosa’s burst off of the snap is impressive, but he does lack the usual raw speed and quickness of an outside pass rusher. Bosa uses other ways to create pressure on the quarterback, but some look at his lack of speed rushing ability to be a negative.

Bosa really burst onto the scene with the Buckeyes in 2014 as a Sophomore. Bosa finished that season with 13.5 sacks and 21.5 tackles for loss. He was a true force to be reckoned with on the Ohio State defensive line, and the cornerstone of an extremely talented National Championship winning defense. Bosa was a consensus All-American in 2014, and one of the premier college football players for the 2015 season.

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He received a ton of media attention heading into 2015, and clearly more attention from opposing offensive attacks. Bosa was constantly double and even triple-teamed on a regular basis in 2015 and that led to a dip in production. Bosa’s five sacks and 16 tackles for loss left plenty to be desired after his dominant 2014 campaign, but the attention spent on him freed up him teammates to consistently make plays.

Jan 1, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes defensive lineman Joey Bosa (97) against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the 2016 Fiesta Bowl at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Buckeyes defeated the Fighting Irish 44-28. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

Bosa still showed great ability on the defensive line, but his lack of production did cause some concern in the draft community. Now, according to Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller, lack of 2015 production is a leading reason why teams are scared off from Bosa, and he could drop out of the top five.

I understand where NFL teams are coming from, but can’t they just watch the tape and see what is going on? This guy had the complete focus of opposing offenses all season long. He was not given a chance to make plays, and the tape backs that up. Bosa still looked like the same strong and athletic player.

If you are worried about Bosa’s lack of production in 2015, I point you to a Tweet by Bleacher Report’s Regimbal who used CBS Sports’ Dane Brugler’s Vine to point out how much attention Bosa received in 2015.

Joey Bosa's "lack of production" in 2015, explained in six seconds. https://t.co/EtnKTFCCGI
— David Regimbal (@davidreg412) February 25, 2016

Seriously, who is going to be able to make plays against three offensive linemen who singular goal is stop them? Bosa was put in an impossible position to succeed in 2015, and while there really was not anything that anybody could have done about it, knocking him for it is completely unfair.

The Bosa hate continue this past weekend, as he ran a disappointing 4.86 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine. Bosa’s time is just more ammunition for people to use against him, but if his overall combine performance went extremely well.

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His 4.21 20-yard shuffle tied for the best time of all defensive linemen, while his 6.89 three-cone drill was the second-best time. Those drills showed off Bosa’s natural quickness and ability to change direction without losing speed and explosion. His 10-foot broad jump was the fifth best for defensive linemen which helps proves Bosa has the necessary athleticism.

He does not have great straight-line speed, but we already knew that. Bosa does however, have the necessary quickness and athleticism at the position while showing impressive natural size and strength and obvious football intelligence.

Offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil may be the right pick for the Tennessee Titans at number one, but after that all the teams in the first round need to be strongly considering Bosa. I can understand the Cleveland Browns going with a quarterback instead, but if he falls past the San Diego Chargers, Dallas Cowboys and Jacksonville Jaguars, they deserve to pick in the top five again next season.

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Bosa is a great NFL prospect who is going to make some noise at the next level. His upside as an outside pass rusher is relatively limited, but he is a great overall player who makes an impact in other ways. NFL teams can go ahead and pass on Bosa if they want, but he will make them regret it.

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