Since being drafted No. 3 overall by the San Diego Chargers in the 2016 NFL Draft, pass rusher Joey Bosa has been repeatedly likened to J.J. Watt. But early on, Bosa admits to a steep learning curve, having struggled to earn first-team reps early on in practice before finally turning it up a notch.
The expectations for former Ohio State defensive end Joey Bosa are through the roof. It’s anticipated that he’ll take on a J.J. Watt-like role for the San Diego Chargers, with many pundits standing firmly behind their opinion that he’ll eventually become a similar player to Watt.
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For his part, Bosa has tried to ignore the comparisons and remain focused on rounding himself in NFL shape — both mentally and physically.
Thus far, things haven’t exactly come easy for the 6-5, 270-pound pass rusher. Bosa admits the “monsters” of the NFL present an entirely animal than those he faced off with in college, and that early on he’s struggled to earn first-team reps in Organized Team Activities (OTAs).
“It was completely different,” Bosa told the San Diego Union Tribune. “You’re going against monsters out there. … The first day I didn’t win one rep in pass rush probably. Now, I’m really starting to get a hang of it again. My moves are coming back.”
But with more practice came additional comfort. After being a bit slow off the line, Bosa eventually found his groove in practice, impressing coaches and teammates alike.
Beyond just his naturally gifted athletic ability, Bosa has shown an additional dedication to learning the playbook — a work ethic and mentality that were lightly questioned heading into the NFL Draft.
“He did a spin move on Joe Barksdale the other day and beat him clean as a whistle,” Chargers defensive end Corey Liuget said. “He had Joe out there mad. The kid just has some talent, man. I wasn’t doing that as a rookie. I was nowhere near making as many plays as he’s making right now.
“He’s better than what I thought he’d be to be honest with you in terms of picking up the playbook and as a person. The kid has his head on his shoulders. That’s just the truth. I can’t sugarcoat it. That’s just what it is.”
The rapid improvement is impressive, but not entirely unexpected. It’s common knowledge that Bosa has all the tools necessary to not just become successful at the NFL level, but potentially to dominate it.
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Coming out of college, Pro Football Focus had Bosa as their No. 1 ranked prospect overall, the No. 1 ranked pass rusher, their No. 1 ranked run defender and the No. 2 ranked edge defender in the NCAA.
So far, the Chargers have seen exactly that. And they expect to see more it when Bosa returns for training camp in July.