The 49ers' pass rush was one of the driving forces behind San Francisco's crushing 30-7 victory over the Steelers in Week 1, with its success made all the more impressive by the amount of rest Nick Bosa received.

San Francisco racked up five sacks of Kenny Pickett in the season opener. The overall pressure numbers vary. Pro Football Focus had the 49ers with 28 pressures, while the NextGen Stats tally had them at 30. Either way, the takeaway is the same, the Niners obliterated the Steelers up front, and did so with their best player on a pitch count.

Bosa, having only had one team practice after signing a contract extension that made him the NFL's highest-paid non-quarterback, played 35 of the 63 defensive snaps, amounting to 53 percent.

That the 49ers were able to enjoy such success getting after the passer with Bosa playing below his usual workload should be of great excitement to San Francisco. Drake Jackson (five pressures and three sacks) provided clear evidence he is ready to take the leap in year two in a game that indicated San Francisco's defensive line depth will once again be among the best and most impactful in the NFL.

But just as tantalizing will be the thought of Bosa getting to face the Rams in Week 2 with a full week of practice under his belt.

PFF had Bosa finishing the game with three pressures and he still came out of the contest as its highest-graded San Francisco defender.

Such grades are subjective and often divisive, but Bosa's high mark is a reflection of his elite talent that allowed him to still have an influence on the game at extremely short notice.

With a return to his Defensive Player of the Year form seemingly on the horizon for Bosa when he gets back to playing his usual complement of snaps, Jackson making obvious strides and the interior defensive line creating a lot of disruption, the 49ers have a recipe that could produce the unquestioned top defensive front in football in 2023.

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