[N.F.L. Draft Live 2019: Click here for pick-by-pick updates and analysis]

Michael Sam dropped in the 2014 N.F.L. draft compared to most experts’ predictions after he came out as gay earlier that year. Laremy Tunsil slid several spots in the 2016 draft when video of him apparently smoking marijuana surfaced on draft night.

Even if fans may not approve, teams’ aversion to off-field “issues” when deciding whom to select has a certain logic. After all, teams are sensitive to the smallest question marks. That is why prospects are subjected to rigorous predraft examinations in which their 40-yard dash is timed, their intelligence is quantified and their hand size is measured.

A high first-round pick, in particular, is among the most valuable assets an N.F.L. team possesses. Its worth shows up on the field, where it can be traded in for a star player on a relatively inexpensive rookie contract, and off the field, where the young star it is used to select can become the face of the franchise.

Given those high stakes, why is Nick Bosa considered a surefire top-three pick in the N.F.L. draft Thursday night?