Nick Bosa on Arik Armstead: He’s probably having the best camp out of anyone that I’ve noticed

For the first time since his hamstring injury, San Francisco 49ers first-round pick Nick Bosa spoke to the media on Wednesday. Bosa comes off as one of the most laid-back, relaxed people you’ll encounter. When he talked about not being able to be out there, you could feel his frustration.

“I was worried when it happened,” Bosa said. “I was pretty down on myself that I couldn’t stay on the field, but once I got with the guys and just had some of the older guys talk me up a little bit, it’s been super helpful.”

Bosa said “you can’t really simulate what football does to your body,” on the injury. He mentioned how being away from football and the travel schedule for a rookie does you no favors in preparing for OTAs.

Bosa spoke highly of the rest of the defensive line and mentioned how his being out is a good thing. It forces him to slow down. He said he’ll have plenty of reps when it matters this summer. Bosa feels like he’ll come back even better. One player Bosa has been watching this offseason closely is Arik Armstead:

“He’s probably having the best camp out of anyone that I’ve noticed. He’s playing out of his mind right now. I’m excited to see what he does during the year. He plays end too, so just watching him, Dee, and Solly have been great examples for me.”

Both Bosa and Kyle Shanahan said the silver lining is that at defensive end you don’t have to worry about being on the same page as another teammate. Shanahan simplified it to:

“he’s been rushing the passer since he was three. You’ve got to beat the guy in front of you and if you don’t know what you’re doing, but you beat the guy in front of you every single time, you’re going to be alright where there’s more to that at another position.”

Even though Bosa hasn’t been able to take physical reps, he has learned quite a bit from Dee Ford:

“Just seeing a vet, just how he goes about his craft and how much he actually loves football. It’s pretty fun to watch. You don’t really get that in college. He works his craft. He only does a few things, but those things are unbelievable. That’s all you need. Master a few things. I’ve learned that from him.”

Bosa said he’s going to get his hamstring right, and it should only take a few weeks of reps to get his confidence back. He’s a man of few words, but Bosa sounded quite confident in his ability.

Shanahan mentioned how you could tell Bosa loves football by his attention to detail in meetings, despite not being able to play.