Bosa: Buckner 'was everything' for 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers rode their dominant defensive front to a Super Bowl appearance last season, and the two most important players on that line arguably were Nick Bosa and DeForest Buckner.
But the 49ers opted to trade Buckner to the Indianapolis Colts for a first-round pick in March after already paying Dee Ford and Arik Armstead. The All-Pro was immediately rewarded with a four-year deal reportedly worth $21 million per season.
While Bosa is happy for his former teammate, the reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year believes San Francisco is facing a tough task trying to replace Buckner's value.
"Buck was definitely one of my best friends on the team and seeing him go is obviously bittersweet," Bosa said Wednesday, according to ESPN's Nick Wagoner. "He got a pretty good contract and he deserves it but just losing him as a leader, we're going to have to really figure out how to step up and fill that void because he was the third-down D-line play-caller, he was the hype speech guy, he was everything.
"And I think he played with the best effort on the D-line, which really shows on tape when you see somebody that big sprinting to the ball every play and making those tackles downfield and obviously his pass-rush ability, we're gonna have to step it up for him."
Buckner racked up 7.5 sacks in 2019 after producing a career-high 12.5 the year before. The 26-year-old was also a menace during the 49ers' postseason run, highlighted by a 1.5-sack, six-tackle performance in the Super Bowl loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
The 49ers opted to replenish their main strength with the selection gained from Buckner, drafting South Carolina defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw. The first-round rookie is expected to start immediately alongside Armstead, Bosa, and Solomon Thomas.
While Bosa will be tasked with carrying more of the NFC West club's pass rush, the former No. 2 pick is confident he's ready to make a big sophomore leap.
"I think I'm going to be a much smarter player next year and I'm just gonna know how to approach my opponents much better and I'm not going to waste rushes and make silly mistakes that I made last year and hopefully enhance my game," Bosa said.
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