San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa is coming off the second ACL injury of his NFL career—and his third overall. Understandably, there are questions about whether the former NFL Defensive Player of the Year can return to peak form after another lengthy rehabilitation.

Bosa's first NFL ACL injury came during his second season in 2020. He responded by playing all 17 games in 2021, recording 15.5 sacks and 21 tackles for loss while earning Pro Bowl honors.


This time, however, the challenge is different. Bosa will turn 29 in October and is entering his eighth NFL season. Can he make another successful comeback?

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler continued his annual NFL position rankings this week by revealing the league's top edge rushers. The rankings are based on feedback from NFL executives, coaches, and scouts, reflecting the league's top players entering the 2026 season rather than their career accomplishments.

Bosa landed at No. 8.

That's down from his No. 5 ranking a year ago and well below his career-high placement of No. 3.

Unsurprisingly, new Los Angeles Rams pass rusher Myles Garrett claimed the top spot. Fowler noted that Bosa likely would have remained in the top five had he stayed healthy, citing the strong start he made before suffering his Week 3 knee injury. Through three games, Bosa posted a 21.6% pass rush win rate and recorded two sacks.


"He's got the best speed-to-power move in the NFL," an NFL personnel evaluator told Fowler. "He gets offensive tackles on their heels, and he pushes right through them."

The 49ers are counting on Bosa to return at full strength because their defense clearly missed his presence last season. San Francisco finished with an NFL-low 20 sacks, and its inability to consistently pressure opposing quarterbacks negatively impacted every level of the defense.

"Bosa is the first 49er with multiple 15-sack seasons since 1982," Fowler wrote. "With 64.5 career sacks, Bosa is the third player in Niners history to surpass the 60-sack mark, joining Bryant Young (89.5) and Charles Haley (66.5)."

ESPN's edge rusher ranking:

  1. Myles Garrett, Los Angeles Rams
  2. Micah Parsons, Green Bay Packers
  3. Will Anderson Jr., Houston Texans
  4. Maxx Crosby, Las Vegas Raiders
  5. Aidan Hutchinson, Detroit Lions
  6. Danielle Hunter, Houston Texans
  7. T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers
  8. Nick Bosa, San Francisco 49ers
  9. Brian Burns, New York Giants
  10. Nik Bonitto, Denver Broncos


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