Nick Bosa and the San Francisco 49ers have had one of the best defenses in the NFL thus far in the 2022 season. It is what has kept them afloat this season outside of a rough Week 6 against the Atlanta Falcons and Week 7 against the Kansas City Chiefs.

But, virtually every team in the NFL has struggled to slow down the Chiefs’ offense this season as Patrick Mahomes is playing at an elite level despite the loss of wide receiver Tyreek Hill. A big reason for their struggles against the Falcons was that they were playing without star pass rusher, Nick Bosa.

Bosa has lived up to expectations since being the No. 2 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. He won Defensive Rookie of the Year and was named to the Pro Bowl. His second season was cut short when he tore his ACL, but he returned with a vengeance in 2021, picking up right where he left off.

Bosa recorded 15.5 sacks last season for the 49ers to go along with 21 tackles for loss, which led the NFL. He also added 32 quarterback hits with one pass defended and four forced fumbles. This season, he has been just as dominant.

According to PFF, Bosa is second in the league in pressures with 33, first with a 25.9 percent win rate, first with a 20.9 percent pressure rate and tied for second with seven sacks.

Those are impressive rankings, especially since Bosa missed over half of the game against the Carolina Panthers in Week 5 before missing the game against the Falcons. Had he been healthy for those games, there is a good chance that he would have swept the pass-rushing stats and been No. 1 in each category.

When he is on the field, Bosa is a force to be reckoned with. He is one of the best pass rushers in the NFL and he is going to be paid handsomely this offseason when he is eligible for an extension.