(Welcome to PFF Fantasy’s Bold Predictions Week. All week long, our writers will offer up the boldest of predictions for the season to come. It’s easy to say Aaron Rodgers will be good; it’s harder to say Mike Glennon will be the No. 1 quarterback. Not that anyone is guessing that, but you get the idea. Check back all week for more.)
One of the most enjoyable pieces to write on a yearly basis is a bold predictions article. One gets to throw caution (and at times sanity) to the wind and climb out on that proverbial “skinny branch.”
When looking at the IDP landscape it’s particularly interesting to try and come up with some head-turning predictions and these are some that I feel will happen.
Joey Bosa will post at least 20 sacks in 2017
Bam! I said it. If we’re making bold predictions, then we may as well go big or go home. Bosa will add his name alongside such legends as Michael Strahan, Jarred Allen, Mark Gastineau and J.J. Watt (twice) as defensive ends who have posted 20 sacks in a season.
After missing the first four games due to a contract dispute Bosa hit the ground running, racking up 4 sacks in his first three NFL games. Bosa also closed the season strong, posting at least one sack in each of the final five games of the season and finishing his rookie campaign with 10.5 sacks.
Bosa has great quickness off the snap and proved capable of getting to the quarterback from both the left as well as right end. Although he lined up on the left more often (roughly 67 percent of the time) Bosa did post 4 sacks from the right end. Bosa was also credited with 11 quarterback hits and another 37 quarterback hurries, so the upside is there to easily surpass his 2016 production.
Bosa will also benefit from an entire training camp and preseason working under new defensive coordinator Gus Bradley and the new 4-3 scheme he’ll be in. Bradley will utilize his talented DE all along the front creating mismatches for Bosa. The presence of Melvin Ingram lining up opposite Bosa is also a huge boost as Ingram had 8 sacks along with 10 QB hits and 54 QB hurries a year ago.
Offensive coordinators will not be able to double team Bosa with Ingram bringing consistent pressure as well. Bosa is only 22 years old and set to challenge J.J. Watt for the league lead in sacks in 2017. Yes. I said that, too.
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