The world didn't get to see AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa and defensive lineman Javon Hargrave out on the field together during the San Francisco 49ers offseason programming slate, so naturally, the anticipation continues to build for the day this pass-rushing duo finally join forces.
The good news is, that day is just a little over two weeks out with 49ers veterans scheduled to report to training camp on July 25.
Ahead of the start of camp, Bleacher Report is weighing in on just how special the 49ers revamped defensive line could be with the talents of Bosa and Hargrave working alongside each other in the trenches. The defensive linemen landed in the top five of writer Maurice Moton's pass-rushing tandems, edging past the Eagles Haason Reddick and Josh Sweat of the Philadelphia Eagles for the fourth-overall spot.
Bosa and Hargrave are elite in their own right and coming off career seasons in 2022. The NFL's reigning Defensive Player of the Year led the league in sacks, racking up 18.5 on the year, while Hargrave was a key contributor to the NFL's most formidable pass-rushing unit, recording a career-high 11.0 sacks. The Eagles defensive unit combined for 70 sacks in 2022, just two takedowns shy of matching the single-season record set by the 1984 Chicago Bears.
Here's what Moton had to say about Bosa and Hargrave's future partnership:
"The pair will wreck offensive lines as they feed off each other on the same side of the 49ers defense," Moton wrote.
The Bleacher Report writer went on to comment on how 49ers new defensive coordinator Steve Wilks will help support the D-line throughout the 2023 campaign.
"This offseason, the 49ers hired Steve Wilks to replace DeMeco Ryans, who took over the Houston Texans head-coaching job, but the change in defensive coordinator shouldn't adversely impact Bosa or Hargrave," Moton noted.
"Wilks has an extensive background as a defensive coach. Ironically, he became the Carolina Panthers interim head coach after the team fired Matt Rhule on the heels of a loss to the 49ers. On Wilks' watch, Brian Burns logged 8.5 sacks, and linebacker Frankie Luvu broke out in a pass-rushing role with seven sacks."
