The San Diego Chargers first-round draft choice, Joey Bosa, recorded more quarterback pressures (145) over the last two collegiate seasons than any other player.
Joey Bosa is also one of four first-round draft choices to not be signed. He is in the middle of a mini-camp holdout; a holdout that truly restricts Bosa’s much needed learning experience. As a rookie, Bosa is expected to learn everything as well as perform at a high level given his draft position.
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Due to the current disagreement between the San Diego Chargers front office and Bosa’s party, the former Buckeye will be largely behind his peers when he does decide to show up to camp. Furthermore, it is truly up to general manager Tom Telesco to overlook whatever contract qualms exist and to sign this talented defensive player.
In the past months, Telesco had stated that one game really stood out above the rest that proved to be the ultimate deciding factor as to whether the Chargers would pull the trigger on selecting Bosa. In the 2016 Fiesta Bowl against Notre Dame, Bosa seemed to show enough to San Diego that enticed the organization to overlook the fact that he only played a small portion of that game due to ejection. So lets take a look at that game and see how Bosa truly showed his college dominance.
In the second play, 13 seconds in, Bosa is immediately double-teamed by the Fighting Irish offensive linemen; Bosa fights through and eventually assists with the tackle near the line of scrimmage.
A little later, at 1:19, Bosa is blocked by a single lineman. He holds the block, and then easily sheds the lineman to attack and swallow up the ball carrier. At 1:41, Bosa jolts the lineman back, sheds the block easily once again and makes the sure tackle.
At two minutes in, Bosa displays his athleticism in coverage. He drops back to follow the running back who swings out right. Bosa then leaves his man as he recognizes the throw to a shallower receiver; he then pursues and closes on the receiver to maintain the minimal yardage gained.
At 2:22 came Bosa’s final play before ejection within this game. Initially, Notre Dame’s quarterback rolls to his right; Bosa follows, but missteps and falls down. The Irish offensive lineman should have an easy block at this moment but Bosa recovers and rips through to have an easy path on the quarterback. Bosa then easily pressures the quarterback into throwing an interception while causing a stir with his hit on the thrower.
All in all, Bosa displayed all of the necessary traits that showed why he is special. Any questions about his motor can be dispelled as well given his number one ranking in fourth quarter pass-rushing productivity in the last draft class.
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Bosa is in fact a once-in-a-generational talent who needs to be signed to start his National Football League experience. The longer Bosa holds out, the longer it will take for him to start helping the Chargers.