49ers roster 2023: Nick Bosa can be even better than his DPOY season

After leading the NFL in sacks last season, Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa could somehow manage to exceed his otherworldly efforts this upcoming year.

The best defensive player in the NFL belongs to the San Francisco 49ers.

That's not hyperbole. All-Pro edge Nick Bosa took home the honors of being the Defensive Player of the Year in 2022 after his NFL-leading 18.5-sack campaign from a season ago, which stands out even more with the knowledge that no one else on the Niners roster had more than five sacks.

Putting it simply, it was either Bosa getting it done or no one else.

That means two things for San Francisco. First, Bosa is the marquee piece of an already stacked and potent defense that literally got stronger during the offseason, thanks to the free-agent pickup of former Philadelphia Eagles star defensive tackle Javon Hargrave.

But it also means the 49ers are going to have to pay up.

Big time.

Bosa has played down the contract chatter, seemingly more focused on preparing for the upcoming season. And, with the Niners boasting a history of extending star players a year before their current contracts expire, there's a good chance Bosa gets his deal done prior to the regular season commencing.

A deal that likely makes the No. 2 overall pick from the 2019 NFL Draft the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.

From San Francisco's vantage point, however, it's worthwhile. And it might actually be a sound investment.

How much will 49ers end up paying Nick Bosa on a new contract?

It's easy to get into the weeds a bit here, but the gist of things suggests Bosa could easily earn an average of $30-plus million per year, potentially even more.

Read more: Nick Bosa could easily earn at least $30 million annually on new deal

Back in February, CBS Sports contributor Joel Corry, a former NFL agent, predicted what the 49ers would have to pay Bosa on a new deal:

"It wouldn't be a surprise if [Bosa’s agent, Brian Ayrault] had $35 million per year as his salary floor for a new deal. Making Bosa the league's first $35 million per year non-quarterback would be 10.53% more than Donald's deal.

The 49ers will have a hard time justifying to Ayrault that Bosa shouldn't be the NFL's highest paid non-quarterback when Jimmy Garoppolo was briefly made the league's highest-paid player in 2018 after just a handful of career starts."

The only caveat to this, however, is Bosa could potentially agree to take less than what he's worth, provided he feels that it's fair.

When asked by the media if he wanted to be the NFL's top-paid defender, his reponse was simple.

"Not necessarily."

Even if Bosa agrees to take less than he could make, it'll still be expensive.

How Nick Bosa could be even more potent for 49ers than he was in 2022

Remember that part about the 49ers not exactly having a top-end No. 2 pass-rusher to pair with Bosa?

Enter Hargrave.

Granted, Hargrave is an interior rusher. But don't overlook his 11-sack campaign for Philly last season. And, for the Niners fans who want to go back 10-plus years, one might recall how defensive end Justin Smith's prowess opened things up for then-rookie edge Aldon Smith in 2012.

Now, this isn't to say Hargrave will be to Bosa for what one Smith was to the other. But it is a benefit, one that Bosa was even quick to recognize:

“I feel like people give him his due, but people don't really know how good he is overall,” Bosa said of Hargrave.

If Hargrave unlocks the fully lethal potential of the 49ers defensive line, perhaps Bosa ends up putting together a campaign that eclipses his Defensive Player of the Year efforts from last season.

And no one will complain about the price tag.

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