The San Francisco 49ers have to figure out parts of their defensive front seven this offseason, and the No. 7 pick provides a lot of options if the 49ers look to that side of the ball. Ohio State defensive end Joey Bosa is among the top "names" in the draft, with plenty of people saying he very well could end up the top pick in the draft. The Tennessee Titans seem more likely to go with an offensive lineman if they don't trade down, but the point is that Bosa brings a lot to the table.
Bosa is doing some solid work at the Combine, putting together solid times in the 3-cone and short shuttle run. He did some impressive work at Ohio State, and he is getting some intriguing comparisons. Green Bay Packers writer Bob McGinn puts together an annual look at 50 of the top prospects in the draft, including anonymous scout comments for each player. On Sunday, he released his latest, and Bosa got quite the comparison:
"He's a little better version of Justin Smith when he came out of Missouri (in 2001)," said another scout. "Little better athlete. Strong, tough guy like that. Good motor."
Justin Smith was the No. 4 pick in the 2001 NFL Draft, and was viewed as a guy who could plug in at defensive end, and be ready to go. That being said, Justin Smith at his peak with the 49ers was obviously a much improved product compared to Justin Smith coming out of college. So let's keep that in mind when reading this Bosa-Smith comparison.
However, speaking of Bosa, SB Nation's Stephen White (former NFL defensive end) has started up his now annual pre-draft scouting reports, and started with Bosa. He really likes Bosa's technique, but he also thinks Bosa might be maxed out on his technique and athleticism. White makes sure to emphasize that he thinks Bosa could still have a solid enough career, but he does not see enough to think he will be "special" at the next level. Obviously White could very well be proven wrong, but I would highly recommend giving his Bosa scouting report a read.