In the lead-up to the NFL Draft, Steve Keim shared a story about Nick Bosa.
Back in 2019, the 49ers’ edge rusher wanted the Cardinals to take him with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, vowing to haunt Arizona’s then-General Manager for years to come if he chose Kyler Murray.
Former Cardinals GM Steve Keim tells @ColinCowherd the time Nick Bosa warned him not to draft Kyler Murray over him…
"I will haunt you for the rest of your career." pic.twitter.com/i7vq6Jek73
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) April 22, 2023
Bosa has backed up his bravado with a spectacular first four seasons in San Francisco, and even though Keim is gone, Bosa will still be facing Arizona twice a year for the foreseeable future.
But starting in 2023, he will be going against an offensive tackle that speaks just as confidently about his ability to compete.
“I’m willing to say right now, I can’t wait for Nick Bosa,” Paris Johnson, the No. 6 overall pick in the draft, said during The Red Sea Report on ESPN 620 AM on Tuesday. “I can’t wait for Micah Parsons. I’ve already been studying both of those guys’ tapes.”
Johnson said confidence is a prerequisite for any player who aims to succeed as a professional.
“You can’t have a goal to play in the NFL and then be afraid to go against these guys,” Johnson said. “Like, what? That’s what you want. You say you want to play in the NFL? That’s the NFL for you, and that’s what I’m excited for, because I’ve done well in those scenarios. I’ve gone against dudes where it’s like, ‘That guy? He’s like that now, but he hasn’t played me yet.’ I feel like I thrive in those environments and I can’t wait for games like that.”
Paris Johnson Jr coming up on #RedSeaReport https://t.co/Z6vH2YhWQq
— Paul Calvisi (@PaulCalvisi) May 2, 2023
Johnson also brought up Buccaneers linebacker Devin White as someone he wants to pancake “so bad, just because he’s a dog.”
Johnson is excited to see how he measures up against the superstar defensive players of the NFL who have humbled many an offensive lineman.
“The guys I want to dominate are the guys I appreciate in the game so much,” Johnson said. “I want to attack the guys that I appreciate so much in this game, because I think they’re legends. I want to go against them. If I’m going to rise up, I’m not going to rise up going against no-names.”
