I recently asked former Raiders offensive coordinator Tom Walsh who the 49ers’ best defensive player is. Here’s what he said. His answer surprised me.
WALSH: “I can’t say Nick Bosa. You know why I can’t Bosa? He’s not Micah Parsons. He’s not Myles Garrett. I hate to say it, but in my mind, Bosa is a one-trick pony. What is he other than a pass-rusher? Tell me.”
ME: When they play the Chiefs, the Chiefs seem to run at him pretty successfully.
WALSH: “That’s the the No. 1 rule when facing a great pass rusher — run the ball at him. Make him muscle up and be phyiscal and have to play the run, and then see how gas he has in the tank to rush the passer on third down. But I’m going to make it physical on first and second down for him. Don’t let him be just a chase player on the back side. I’m going at him. He’s a chaser. I’m going to wear him out with all that stuff. And I’m going to chip him also. I’m going to challenge him mentally and physically.”
ME: As opposed to Fred Warner, who’s the best middle linebacker in football.
WALSH: “Yeah. But how effective is Warner going to be this year without Dre Greenlaw next to him?”
ME: Right. Because as great as Warner is, he’s not the most violent linebacker. Greenlaw is the violent hitter.
WALSH: “Correct. So Warner might have to play a different game as a linebacker this year to compensate for the fact that Greenlaw is not in there.”
ME: What do you think of Talanoa Hufanga?
WALSH: “That. young man is an 8-in-the-box guy. Also I could see him playing in a big nickel scheme where I would make him a linebacker.”