Bad news for 49ers opponents: Hargrave makes Bosa even more dangerous

Eric Williams

NFC West Writer

Nick Bosa had one of his best seasons as a pro in 2022, leading the league in sacks with 18.5 and earning NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors for the first time in his career.

He may just be getting started. That’s because Bosa’s job of getting to the quarterback was made easier when the 49ers surprisingly signed defensive tackle Javon Hargrave away from the Philadelphia Eagles on the first day of free agency in March.

“I’m super excited,” Bosa recently told reporters about the move. “We’ve been watching tape on him the past few years in Philly. Every time we watch him, Kris [49ers defensive line coach Kris Kocurek] would rave about him. We think of him as one of the best interior guys in the league, especially rushing the passer. To have him on our side is going to be a huge addition for us.”

Anchored by Bosa and defensive tackle Arik Armstead, the 49ers already had one of the more formidable defensive lines in the NFL. But the addition of Hargrave raises San Francisco to elite status.

“He’s just real humble,” Hargrave said about his initial interactions with Bosa. “Being Defensive Player of the Year, with me coming in just being there to talk with me, welcoming me in and trying to help me catch up on things. It’s kind of like a family.”

The seven-year veteran had his best season last year for the Eagles, finishing with a career-high 11 sacks to help Philadelphia lead the league with 70 during the regular season. Edge Haason Reddick had a career-high 16 sacks for the Eagles, thanks in part to Hargrave consistently pushing the pocket inside.

Kocurek said Hargrave was at the top of his list of free agents, but he didn’t know if the 49ers would have an opportunity to get him. Ultimately, San Francisco signed Hargrave to a four-year, $84 million deal that includes $40 million in guaranteed money.

“It’s just one more piece to the puzzle,” Kocurek told reporters about signing Hargrave. “A very talented piece of the puzzle, obviously. I’ve followed Javon throughout his career, and he’s always been a really talented player.

“But I think the last couple years in Philly he’s really separated himself from a lot of the other interior players in the game, especially from a pass rush standpoint — from pressuring the quarterback to being able to win one-on-ones at a really high rate. There’s only a couple of guys in the NFL that have won at a rate that he’s won.”

Jason McIntyre and Colin Cowherd react to former Eagles DT Javon Hargrave signing a four-year, $84 million deal with the 49ers.

According to Next Gen Stats, Hargrave generated pressure on 17.4% of his pass rushes between Week 11 and the NFC Championship, the highest mark among 75 defensive tackles with at least 100 pass rushes.

The 49ers have had trouble creating a consistent defensive tackle duo since trading DeForest Buckner to the Indianapolis Colts after the 2019 season. Last year, Armstead missed eight games with foot and ankle injuries, while the other starter at tackle, Javon Kinlaw, played in only nine games (including postseason) and was slowed due to a lingering knee issue.

One of Hargrave’s best abilities is his availability, missing just three games in seven NFL seasons.

“Last year was kind of a revolving door in the interior with the guys we had, and not having Arik or Javon,” Bosa said. “Guys were coming in and playing snaps in games after being here for just a week. That’s just not ideal for our scheme. You really want to get an offseason in with coach [Kocurek] and really learn the nuances of playing interior because I think playing interior is more difficult mentally with our scheme than playing on the outside.

“[This year] we have Kevin [Givens], who continues to improve. We have T.Y. [McGill] who’s been here an extra year. And then Javon [Kinlaw] is looking great, Javon [Hargrave] and Arik … it just seems like we have a lot more depth. And if we’re able to rotate guys in and out, then we can play with the effort and physicality we need to play with.”

The signing of Hargrave points to head coach Kyle Shanahan understanding the time is now for the 49ers to chase a Super Bowl ring.

After last season’s disappointing finish, in which San Francisco finished the season without a healthy quarterback, Shanahan and 49ers general manager John Lynch are pulling out all the stops to make a title run in 2023.

The 49ers still need to lock up Bosa to a long-term deal, but the Florida native doesn’t see an impediment to something getting done before the start of training camp.

“I think I’ll get what I deserve,” he said.

Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on Twitter at @eric_d_williams.

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