SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Among the goals Nick Bosa has for his second NFL season with the 49ers, one is trying to fill the large void left by defensive tackle DeForest Buckner.
“Buck was definitely one of my best friends on the team and seeing him go is obviously bittersweet,” Bosa said on a video conference with reporters Wednesday.
San Francisco, of course, traded Buckner in March to the Indianapolis Colts for the 13th pick in the NFL draft, which they used to trade back one spot and land South Carolina defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw, who figures to get the most playing time in place of Buckner at “three technique” defensive tackle.
Kinlaw (6-5, 324) joins the 49ers with similar promise as Buckner (6-7, 291) had when he was drafted seventh overall in 2016. But what Kinlaw lacks is the experience and leadership chops Buckner developed during the last four seasons. Buckner was a team captain and leader of the defensive line group that was pivotal in last season’s run to the Super Bowl following a 4-12 finish in 2018.
Bosa, 22, the reigning defensive rookie of the year, will be among those charged with picking up Buckner’s slack.
“Losing him as a leader, we’re going to have to really figure out how to step up and fill that void because he was the third down D-line play caller, he was the hype speech guy, he was everything,” Bosa said. “And I think he played with the best effort on the D-line, which really shows on tape when you see somebody that big sprinting to the ball every play and making those tackles downfield and obviously his pass rush ability, we’re gonna have to step up.”
Trading Buckner, who had 28.5 sacks and only missed one game since 2016, largely had to do with finances. The team decided against giving him the four-year, $84 million extension, averaging $21 million per season, he received from his new team. That helped the 49ers save room for players, including fellow defensive tackle Arik Armstead and safety Jimmie Ward this offseason. Additionally, tight end George Kittle, linebacker Fred Warner and recently acquired tackle Trent Williams could get lucrative new contracts over the next two years.
Bosa, meanwhile, is spending his offseason amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Fort Lauderdale, working out with his brother, Joey, the star defensive end with the Chargers. Their daily routine includes waking up at 6 a.m. and doing conditioning drills at a local park by 7 before hitting a gym owned by their father, John, to lift weights until the early afternoon. Then it’s back home to eat healthy meals prepared by a newly hired private chef.
“Honestly my body is feeling unbelievable at this point,” said Bosa, who appeared in every game last season.
Bosa has been heralded for his football acumen, particularly for a player his age. Recently retired tackle Joe Staley often raved about Bosa’s technique, strength and hand usage. The two had lengthy conversations following spirited battles during training camp practices last summer.
The 49ers and defensive line coach Kris Kocurek may call on Bosa to replace Buckner’s ad-libbing on the field in crucial situations. Bosa said it was Buckner who would often determine which pass rushing techniques the defensive line would use on third downs.
“We would walk up to Buck and be like, ‘What you got, Buck? What do you want?’” Bosa explained. “If Kris didn’t specifically say something that he wanted, then Buckner would just decide. So that’s a pretty big responsibility that we’re going to have to pick up.”
Apparently that process worked. The 49ers last season ranked second in the NFL in opponents’ third-down conversion rate (33 percent) while finishing third in overall sack rate (8.84% of opponents’ dropbacks).
Bosa’s nine sacks during the regular season were second on the team. He added four more in three postseason games including a forced fumble of Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl. He was among the leaders in Pro Bowl voting and trails only Aaron Donald as the favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year in 2020, according to Betonline.ag.
Bosa said he’s studied his work from his impressive rookie campaign and knows where he wants to make improvements heading into Year 2.
“Just seeing the field a little better. Just not wasting rushes,” he said. “Not making little technique mistakes that I’ll make. Just really small things that you could see on film. … I think towards later in the year, I really understood what kind of rusher I was and how to set up (offensive) tackles for later in the game.”
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