Originally Posted by :
Bolton played in all 13 games as a true freshman (22 tackles, one sack) after earning Dallas Morning News first-team all-state honors at Lone Star High School (130 tackles, 16 for loss, five interceptions). He went from promising youngster to SEC star in 2019, earning first-team all-conference honors after leading the league with 8.9 tackles per game (107 total, 7.5 for loss), intercepting two passes and breaking up eight others in 12 starts. He was named second-team Associated Press All-American, first-team All-SEC and a Butkus Award finalist in 2020, leading his defense with 95 tackles and 7.5 tackles for loss (including two sacks), while breaking up five passes in 10 starts. Bolton's father, Carlos, played football at Louisiana Tech. -- by Chad Reuter
Overview
When you think about strong, forceful inside linebackers, Bolton is the type of player you might be envisioning. He's going to fall below typical NFL starter standards from a size standpoint, but his rugged frame and forceful demeanor help make up for it. Play recognition and pursuit instincts help carry him to the football and he's a message-sending striker when he gets the runner squared up. He has functional short-area burst between the tackles but will struggle to run down the outside run if he's not close enough to the action. He will need to lean heavier on his instincts to help speed him up because of size and speed limitations. Bolton plays with good field recognition when dropping into zone and has a history of making plays on the football in coverage. He's a three-down linebacker who can make an immediate contribution on special teams and has the potential to become a future starter. Strengths
Very tough with a physical edge.
Plays with demeanor teams look for in the middle.
Field-savvy with instincts to diagnose misdirection.
Identifies and communicates.
Heavy hands with good pop to take on blocks.
Pursues ball-carrier with patience and leverage.
Fluid alterations to his pursuit angles.
Excellent feel for attack timing downhill.
Meets runners with violent collisions in the hole.
Strikes like he's trying to send a message.
Great awareness and ballhawking as spot dropper.
Has enough man-cover talent to play on all three downs.
Thrived on kick- and punt-cover teams early in his career.
Weaknesses
Average lateral quickness traps him behind climbing blocks.
Inconsistent to strike and separate from blockers.
Needs to improve angles to elude box traffic.
Might need to take a few more chances as a pro.
Top-end speed appears below average.
Loses ground when pursuit flows wide.
Below-average lateral agility as open-field tackler.
Will have to play quicker to deal with NFL slashers.
Originally Posted by jjchieffan:
Honey Badger is a big part of our defense and the attitude change that came with the overhaul. He's still playing at a high level. If Hitchens and Clark are both gone, I see no reason to let Mathieu walk. Safeties like him aren't easily replaced.
Jones and Mahomes numbers will go up and Tyreek Hill will be the highest paid WR. You're wrong about finding safeties and it would be dumb to give a safety on the wrong side of 30 with 2 blown knees top market value. [Reply]
He had a good game, and I think he'll look even better when Gay comes back and takes over a few of his coverage assignments.
And if all he ever becomes for us is a solid-not-spectacular LB who improves our run defense, I'll certainly take it. We haven't had that guy since Ragland improved in the latter half of 2019. [Reply]
Originally Posted by RealSNR:
He had a good game, and I think he'll look even better when Gay comes back and takes over a few of his coverage assignments.
And if all he ever becomes for us is a solid-not-spectacular LB who improves our run defense, I'll certainly take it. We haven't had that guy since Ragland improved in the latter half of 2019.
Yup, we're going to have capable LBers again with him and Gay. It's been awhile. [Reply]
Pleasantly surprised, although I'm not sure if he just shined so brightly in contrast to the rest of the defense looking like an AIDS fire in that abysmal first half. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Superturtle:
Pleasantly surprised, although I'm not sure if he just shined so brightly in contrast to the rest of the defense looking like an AIDS fire in that abysmal first half.
It's impressive how well he did considering the DL sucked a bag of dicks for many downs. [Reply]