The Arizona Cardinals should’ve passed on Kyler Murray and drafted edge-rusher Nick Bosa with the top overall pick back in 2019.
This coming Monday night, the Arizona Cardinals will take on a ferocious San Francisco 49ers defense. It still stings to think that Nick Bosa, an edge-rusher who’s arguably the Niners’ best defender, could’ve been an integral part of the Cards organization for many years to come.
Back in 2019, Arizona selected quarterback Kyler Murray with the first-overall selection of the NFL Draft. A large contingent of fans, including yours truly, wanted Bosa to be the pick. Now, three years later, there are many members of the “Red Sea” who still believe that the former Ohio State Buckeye was the better choice.
The Cardinals are currently in dire need of a player who could provide a pass-rush off of the edge. In the 10 games that have been played this fall, outside linebackers Myjai Sanders, Markus Golden, Dennis Gardeck and Cameron Thomas have combined for just 5.5 sacks. Bosa, in eight starts this season, has been credited with an eye-popping 9.5 sacks for San Francisco.
Murray, on the other hand, has been unable to get the Cards offense into any kind of groove for quite some time. Without his running ability, the diminutive (5 foot 10 on a good day) Murray would be viewed as an average signal-caller who struggles to complete passes from the pocket. There are those who argue that his lack of height doesn’t matter, but it’s clearly an issue.
Arizona Cardinals would’ve been better off with Nick Bosa on the roster
Bosa, a 6 foot 4, 266 pounder, has been a one-man wrecking crew from his defensive end position. In addition to the sacks, the 25-year-old has also racked up 27 tackles (11 for a loss) and a whopping 24 quarterback hits during the current campaign. In his 43 pro appearances (41 starts), Bosa has tallied 132 tackles, 34 sacks and six forced fumbles for the 49ers.
Murray has been dynamic at times because of his legs and big-play ability, but Arizona’s “Air Raid” scoring attack would likely run a whole lot better with a pocket passer. Last Sunday, the offense ran like clockwork with veteran quarterback Colt McCoy leading the charge. Murray backers seem to ignore the fact that the Cardinals are an ugly 4-11 in their hero’s last 15 starts.
The talented Bosa will present a huge challenge for the Cards offensive line in week 11. Murray is nursing a strained hamstring, and may not even play. It stands to reason that Arizona’s braintrust would choose Bosa if they were presented with that same decision in 2022.
(Statistics provided by Pro Football Reference)
Want your voice heard? Join the Raising Zona team!