Nick Bosa had a down season by his standards in 2024.

He recorded just 9.5 sacks — his lowest total for a season in which he played more than two games since he was a rookie. And yet, Pro Football Focus still ranks him as the NFL’s fourth-best edge defender heading into the 2025 season.

“Bosa’s 89.3 PFF pass-rush grade was his lowest since his rookie season in 2019 — a testament to how dominant he has been through the first six years of his career,” writes PFF’s Ryan Smith. “However, he still finished tied for third in pass-rush win rate (20.0%) and ranked fifth in total pressures (69).”

Bosa’s problem in 2024 was finishing plays. He still won his one-on-one matchups at a high rate and generated lots of pressure, but he often whiffed when he had an opportunity to sack the quarterback. That’s because quarterbacks are becoming quicker and more nimble every year while Bosa tends to lose his balance if he has to change directions.

For an elite professional athlete, Bosa spends a lot of time on the ground. That’s why he often struggles against teams with mobile quarterbacks. Unfortunately for Bosa, more and more teams have mobile quarterbacks these days.

That’s why the 49ers drafted Mykel Williams. He’s a good pass rusher, but he’s great at containing quarterbacks in the pocket, something Bosa does not do well. Bosa often opens scramble lanes for quarterbacks and those scrambles hurt the defense in critical situations.

Which means Bosa is a bit overrated. I wouldn’t rank him among the NFL’s top 5 edge defenders anymore.