Joe Thomas has been one of the NFL's best players at his position pretty much since he stepped on the field as a rookie back in 2007. He has made the Pro Bowl in every single one of his 10 NFL seasons and has been named an All-Pro eight times (six first-team, two second-team) as well.
All of which is to say: because he's been shutting them down for a decade, it seems pretty likely that Thomas knows a good pass-rusher when he sees one. And he sure sees one in Joey Bosa, the No. 3 pick in the 2016 draft by the San Diego Chargers.
"As far as rookies go, he's the most polished pass rusher that I've ever seen," Thomas said, per Ohio.com. "He's got a natural instinct about counter pass rush moves and using his hands to beat an offensive lineman that you don't really see out of rookies. He looks like an eight-year vet out there the way he tries to get after the quarterback. Another thing that always stands out when you watch him is just the effort."
Bosa made our list of Pro Bowl snubs after the rosters were announced Thursday, for good reason. He's been an absolute monster from the jump (which came after a holdout and an injury):
Since his debut, Bosa has been one of the best pass-rushers in football. In just 10 games Bosa has been credited by Pro Football Focus with 49 pressures, a rate just south of Von Miller's AFC-leading 73 in 14 games. And it's not like Bosa has been a one-dimensional player, either. He's very good against the run as well.
Bosa is averaging 4.9 pressures per game, just behind Miller's rate of 5.2 per game. He also has 7.5 sacks in 10 games, putting him on pace for 12 in a 16-game season. For perspective, the all-time record for sacks by a rookie is 14.5 (held by Jevon Kearse) and only 10 other players have reached 12 sacks in their rookie campaign. That's the kind of company Bosa is in right now, and it's not surprising that Thomas has taken notice.
