In the 2019 NFL Draft, the Arizona Cardinals had the No. 1 pick, and they had a decision to make between Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray and Ohio State pass rusher Nick Bosa.
When general manager Steve Keim and then-head coach Kliff Kingsbury visited Bosa before the draft, he gave them a warning while throwing a little shade at Murray, according to Keim.
Former #Cardinals GM Steve Keim says Nick Bosa warned him and Kliff Kingsbury after his pre-draft visit in 2019.
“I think you guys are probably going to take that little QB — and if you do — I will haunt you for the rest of your career.”
(🎥 @TheHerd)pic.twitter.com/aTCGzZIhOl
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) April 21, 2023
As it turned out, the Cardinals did go with Murray at No. 1, allowing the San Francisco 49ers to strike gold by taking Bosa at No. 2.
Murray hasn’t turned out to be a bad player at all — he has made two Pro Bowls in his four pro seasons, and his accuracy has been solid while his squirrel-like quickness has enabled him to collect 2,204 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns since entering the NFL.
But Bosa has become a monster and, in the minds of many, the better player, or at least one who has made a bigger impact.
He won the Defensive Player of the Year last season, posting a league-high 18.5 sacks plus 48 QB hits and 19 tackles for loss, and he is simply a scary player to deal with for opposing offenses.
Even when Bosa isn’t sacking QBs or even directly pressuring them, his mere presence seems to make them tentative and take them out of their comfort zone.
He is the centerpiece of San Francisco’s defense, which was the best in the NFL this past season, and at age 25, he may not even be in his prime yet.
Next season, Bosa will be joined on the defensive line by defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, who tallied 11 sacks in 2022, which will make the Niners’ defense even more of a nightmare.
