INDIANAPOLIS – Someone far more qualified than me is ultimately going to decide if Joey Bosa is worth the Dallas Cowboys' fourth overall pick.
The Cowboys need a pass rusher, and the highly-coveted Ohio State standout appears be a perfect fit for Rod Marinelli's 4-3 defensive scheme. He'll undoubtedly be in the conversation when Dallas goes on the clock at No. 4 overall, assuming he hasn't been drafted already.
That's about as much draft prognostication as I can do in late February, while the NFL Combine is still going on around me.
What I can say, having watched his Combine interview, is that Joey Bosa looks like he was meant to be a part of the spectacle that is the Dallas Cowboys.
It started with the way Bosa started his press conference, mobbed by dozens of reporters, with a casual "What's up?" From there the All-American defensive end made it perfectly clear that he's perfectly comfortable standing in the largest of spotlights.
"I haven't been in front of you guys in a while," Bosa said. "After meeting with a bunch of NFL coaches, you guys are nothing."
This shouldn't be surprising, considering the enormity of college football these days – especially at a football-crazy powerhouse like Ohio State. Bosa was one of the most visible members of the most visible team in the sport last fall, so he should be familiar with big stages.
That said, Bosa deserves credit for being more than just comfortable. The guy has character, as he quipped his way through 10 minutes of scrutiny. He deftly maneuvered questions about his suspension to open the 2015 Ohio State season. He also expounded on hard-hitting issues like whether a hulking defensive linemen should go by the name Joey.
"I never see myself as a Joe," he joked. "Maybe once I'm 50 I'll be Joe -- Old Man Joe."
It all combined to create one of the most entertaining moments of this year's NFL Combine, and it was something that was easy to imagine playing out in the middle of the Cowboys' locker room. This is a franchise that has long featured colorful characters and interesting personalities – going back to Michael Irvin and Charles Haley, or present day with Dez Bryant and Randy Gregory.
The Cowboys have long been known for providing intrigue off the field in addition to a riveting product on the field. Bosa seems like a natural fit in both regards. The 6-5, 269-pound defensive end would give this team a third blue-chip prospect on the defensive line, along with Gregory and DeMarcus Lawrence.
Bosa already has a feel for playing at AT&T Stadium, for good measure.
He posted two tackles and a tackle for loss on Jan. 12, 2015, when Ohio State walloped Oregon, 42-20, en route to the national championship – won on the Cowboys' home turf.
Whether he'd be used at left end, right end or defensive tackle – or potentially all three -- he'd certainly help upgrade a pass rush that has sagged behind the rest of the league for several years. The 20-year-old definitely isn't lacking in confidence, as he said he sees himself as the top player in this draft, capable of going No. 1 overall.
"I think I bring the best pass rusher, the best defensive lineman in the country," he said. "I'm obviously coming to the team that drafts me to help them win and help them eventually make it to the Super Bowl."
Let's recap it then: super-talented, supremely confident player excels at a position Dallas desperately needs. He wants to contend for a championship, and he's comfortable – at ease, even – in the brightest of spotlights.
Only time will tell if he's the pick, but Joey Bosa certainly seems to check every box the Cowboys might have.
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