Nick Bosa has compared Javon Hargrave to Los Angeles Rams star Aaron Donald and believes the defensive tackle will help the San Francisco 49ers defence dominate in 2023.
Hargrave was key for the Philadelphia Eagles last season, tallying 11.0 sacks on the formidable defensive unit that helped lead the NFC East franchise to Super Bowl LVII. He also ranked 19th in the NFL for total pressures with only Chris Jones (Kansas City Chiefs), Dexter Lawrence (New York Giants) and Cameron Heyward (Pittsburgh Steelers) finishing ahead of Hargrave among interior defensive linemen.
The 30-year-old decided to leave the Eagles in free agency in favour of a move to the 49ers, who have been on the precipice of a title run for years. Hargrave inked a four-year deal worth $84million (£66m) to head to the Bay Area, where he will link up with 2022 Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa.
With the likes of Bosa, Hargrave and Arik Armstead suiting up for the 49ers, San Francisco will boast a fierce defensive line head into 2023. Armstead suggested the addition of Hargrave will help the team "take it to another level" this season - and Bosa places the latest 49ers recruit in esteemed company by comparing him to two of the best in the NFL.
“People don’t really know how good he is overall,” Bosa said of Hargrave, according to the San Jose Mercury News . “He’s not talked about - he might be, I don’t know - but I feel he isn’t quite talked about in the Aaron Donald top echelon, Chris Jones.
“But I feel he played like that last year and throughout his career. So having him and Arik inside should be pretty fun.”
It is some praise to be compared to Donald - a three-time Defensive Player of the Year and considered by some to be the greatest defensive player in NFL history - and Jones. Both Donald and Jones are Super Bowl champions and have enjoyed careers disrupting offensive backfields at will with 103 and 65 sacks respectively to their name.
Bosa, who put up 18.5 sacks in 2022 en route to being named the best defensive player in the NFL, looks forward to teaming up with Hargrave as he added: “I'm super excited. We've been watching tape on him the past few years in Philly and I think every time we watch him, [defensive line coach Kris Kocurek] raves about him.
“We think of him as one of the best interior guys in the league, especially rushing the passer, and to have him on our side is going to be a huge addition for us.”
With Hargrave and Armstead teaming up alongside him, Bosa will enter the season confident he can collect more individual honours while he will hope the 49ers can get over the hump. San Francisco fell to Hargrave’s Eagles in the NFC Championship Game when rookie quarterback Brock Purdy suffered an elbow injury.
The 49ers lost defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans as he left to become the new Houston Texans head coach. Steve Wilks has replaced him, and he moved quickly in free agency to add Hargrave - who clearly appreciated the kind words uttered by Bosa.
“That's big, who he is and for him to think like that,” Hargrave said. “That's what we strive for in this league, to put that work in, try to be the best we can be.”
