Nick Bosa's case for NFL Defensive Player of the Year improved on Friday as he was named a first-team All-Pro by the Associated Press.
The former Buckeye and current San Francisco 49ers defensive end received 49 of 50 first-team votes from the AP and was one of two edge rushers to receive the honor along with Dallas Cowboys defensive end Micah Parsons, who also is in contention for the NFL's DPOY in 2022-23.
All-Pro @nbsmallerbear #DevelopedHere https://t.co/L0HcOxeNIM
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) January 13, 2023
This season, Bosa has been dominant for the 49ers, who will host the Seattle Seahawks in Santa Clara, California, for the NFL Wild Card Round on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. Appearing in 16 of San Francisco's 17 games, Bosa was the league's Sack King with a career-best 18.5 sacks to go along with 19 tackles for loss and 48 quarterback hits – statistics that were also among the league's best.
As it stands, Bosa is the favorite to win the DPOY accolade, according to most sportsbooks across the country. At the same time, Parsons, Maxx Crosby of the Las Vegas Raiders and Myles Garrett of the Cleveland Browns are also considered to be in the running for the honor.
Should the "Little Bear" win the award, he would add the accolade to a trophy case with plenty of hardware he's earned while in the league, including the NFL's 2019 Defensive Rookie of the Year and three Pro Bowl selections. Additionally, while at Ohio State, he was the Big Ten's Defensive Lineman of the Year and a first-team All-American as a sophomore in 2017.
