NFL draft: Possible 49ers target Nick Bosa plans to keep opinions to himself

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Ohio State defensive end Nick Bosa remained busy most of Wednesday, on the eve of the NFL draft.

Bosa, along with 20 other draft prospects, took part in an event to assemble 8,000 food kits for children as part of an NFL event, “Huddle against Hunger.” His life will change Thursday when he is expected to be one of the top picks in the draft. Bosa, however, kept himself occupied, rather than consider all of the possibilities.

“I’m getting kept pretty busy right now, so I’m not able to think about it quite as much,” Bosa said. “It’s awesome. It’s what I’ve been working for since I was seven years old. I think it’ll really hit me tomorrow. I’m just really excited to find out where the next journey is.”

Bosa has been mentioned recently as a candidate to be the No. 1 overall pick of the Arizona Cardinals. But if the Cardinals select Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray, Bosa would appear to be the favorite to land with the 49ers at No. 2.

The 49ers have been on Bosa’s radar for a while as a distinct possibility. He recently told ESPN that he has refrained from political tweets because his conservative views run in contrast to the liberal-leaning Bay Area.

“I’m just getting ready for the draft,” Bosa said. “I’m not really worried about Twitter anymore.

“I think the people who know me, know who I am. And I’m going to keep my opinions to myself from now on.”

[RELATED: Nick Bosa intuitively drawn to a sport that shaped his life, NFL draft future]

Bosa appeared in only three games during his final season at Ohio State. He recorded four sacks in those games, and after recovering from surgery to repair a muscle tear in his upper groin, his draft stock has apparently not suffered.

“I don’t think I’ll be waiting too long,” Bosa said. “We’ll see. The draft is pretty unpredictable.”

Bosa said he came out of a pre-draft visit to Santa Clara feeling as if he would fit in perfectly with the 49ers. He said he has enjoyed getting to know general manager John Lynch, vice president of player personnel Adam Peters, coach Kyle Shanahan and defensive coordinator Robert Saleh.

“Just all really, really good dudes,” Bosa said. “We had dinner and sat around and talked, man to man. I just love them, the culture. It seems like the kind of culture I’d like to be in. It was just a really good visit.

“It just seems like a family. Every coach that I talked to when they were away from coach Shanahan just talked up how player-friendly he is and how he’s just a regular guy, but when it’s time to go to work, he goes to work. Playing for somebody like that would be really cool.”

There appears to be little question that Bosa, a native of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., is the type of player the 49ers are looking to add to their defense. He said he bonded with Saleh, who told him how he would fit into the system.

“It’s my type of scheme,” Bosa said. “I’d put a hand in the dirt and get after it every play, crushing and closing, playing the edge and pass-rushing. It’s definitely my type of scheme.”

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