San Francisco 49ers pass rusher Nick Bosa was named the 2022 NFL Defensive Player of the Year at the NFL Honors on Thursday night. In four total seasons, the former No. 2 overall pick has won NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, been named an All-Pro, earned three Pro Bowl bids and now, won NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
In 16 games played this season, Bosa recorded 51 combined tackles, two forced fumbles and a league-leading 18.5 sacks. He also led the league in QB hits with 48, and tied for second in tackles for loss with 19. Arguably his best game came in Week 13 against the Miami Dolphins, when Jimmy Garoppolo was knocked out of the contest early due to injury. The defense stood up for Brock Purdy and Co., and Bosa notched a season-high three sacks and forced a fumble in 38 defensive snaps.
Bosa beat out Kansas City Chiefs defensive lineman Chris Jones and Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons for the award. He comes from a football family, as his brother, Joey Bosa, stars for the Los Angeles Chargers, while his father, John, was selected No. 16 overall by the Dolphins back in 1987.
Nick helped captain the best defense in the NFL this past season, as the 49ers allowed just 300.6 yards of total offense per game, and 77.7 rushing yards per game. The 49ers also had the best scoring defense for the third time in franchise history, allowing an average of just 16.3 points per game.
