49ers end Nick Bosa can join rare company with 2020 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award

Only a select few players in league history have won NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and then followed it up with Defensive Player of the Year the next season. Could San Francisco 49ers end Nick Bosa join that group in 2020. He's a +900 second-favorite on the moneyline odds at William Hill sportsbook to be named the top defender. Only the Rams' Aaron Donald at +600 has shorter odds.

Bosa helped transform that 49ers defense into one of the NFL's best last year as the No. 2 overall pick out of Ohio State. He finished with 47 tackles, 16 tackles for loss (rookie franchise record), nine sacks, two fumbles recovered, a forced fumble and even an interception. Bosa began the season with seven sacks in his first seven games, tied for the second-most by any player in his first seven games (sacks have only been kept since 1982).

That interception came in dominant Bosa game on Oct. 27, 2019, vs. Carolina when he joined Julius Peppers (Oct. 13, 2002) and Kevin Williams (Dec. 28, 2003) as the only rookies with at least three sacks and an interception in a single game since 1982.

Bosa continued his stellar play in the postseason – although that had no bearing on winning Defensive Rookie of the Year – as in three games he had four sacks and a forced fumble. Of course, the Niners blew a 10-point fourth-quarter lead in a Super Bowl loss to Kansas City.

Nick and Joey Bosa (2016) became the first set of brothers to win the Defensive Rookie of the Year Award. Joey has not been able to win Defensive Player of the Year yet. Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore won it in 2019. The last 49ers winner of the award was defensive tackle Dana Stubblefield in 1997.

When William Hill releases its most sacks prop for the 2020 season, both Bosa brothers will be among the favorites. The 49ers open the season Sept. 13 at home as 7.5-point favorites on the NFL odds vs. Arizona. Nick Bosa did not have a sack in two games last year vs. the Cards.

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