Former Cardinals GM shares incredible Nick Bosa draft story

December 21, 2019; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa (97) during the second quarter against the Los Angeles Rams at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Former Arizona Cardinals general manager Steve Keim had quite the story about the team’s pre-draft visit with defensive lineman Nick Bosa in 2019.

The Cardinals had the first overall pick in 2019, and they ultimately used it on quarterback Kyler Murray. Despite that, Keim and then-coach Kliff Kingsbury both met with Bosa, who ended up going one pick later to the San Francisco 49ers.

Keim recalled that Bosa had a firm warning for him and Kingsbury as the meeting wrapped up.

“We went to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and had dinner with Nick Bosa prior to the draft,” Keim recalled. “Loved him, obviously. Our highest-graded guy on the board, amazing in every way. The only thing you had to even say was a negative was probably if he had an injury in the future, which you couldn’t forecast.

“So we’re leaving the dinner, and I’ll never forget, he puts his arm around me and Kliff Kingsbury, both of us, in basically a headlock. And he said, ‘I think you guys are probably going to end up taking that little quarterback. And if you do, Steve, I will haunt you for the rest of your career.'”

Bosa has certainly tried to make good on his word. In seven career games against Arizona, he has three sacks, six tackles for loss, and 11 QB hits. In that last category, only the Seahawks and Rams have endured more QB hits at his hand.

The Cardinals don’t necessarily regret taking Murray, though Keim certainly still has some concerns about the quarterback’s future. The 49ers definitely don’t regret landing Bosa, who is fresh off earning Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2022.