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 DJ's left nut:
MU Fans don't have a bias for their former players. By and large we shit on them WORSE than we do other guys.
But yeah, I loved Bolton going back to my STH for Mizzou. It's less about him being a former Mizzou player and more about him being a guy I watched every Saturday and who I saw improve week over week, year over year.
He's just a damn good ballplayer and his teammates respond to him.
This. We typically don't want ANY former Mizzou players. That's how you knew Bolton was going to be good; we actually loved this guy. He WAS the Mizzou defense for a good 2 years when they had little else.
BTW, we love Luther as well. Might check into that guy. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Pitt Gorilla:
This. We typically don't want ANY former Mizzou players. That's how you knew Bolton was going to be good; we actually loved this guy. He WAS the Mizzou defense for a good 2 years when they had little else.
BTW, we love Luther as well. Might check into that guy.
Yeah - that guy's gonna go top 10. He has everything you want in a player.
Hopefully 'Bama's rocky season doesn't have them opening the NLI bag and sniping him this off-season... [Reply]
Have Veach/Reid whiffed on a single Mizzou player yet? Morse was/is good. Booger did what he was supposed to do. I can assume Gabbert will do the same if not better.
Long gone are the days when we'd draft Will Franklin and get nothing. [Reply]
Originally Posted by InChiefsHeaven:
Fuck it, I'll ask...WTF is an "off ball" linebacker, and is there an example of an "on ball" linebacker. Thanks, I'll hang up and listen...
"On the ball" as far as I've ever known essentially means on the LOS.
Justin Houston and Tamba Hali -- 'on ball linebackers' because they were typically lined up as rushers on the DL.
Derrick Johnson and Nick Bolton - off ball backers as they just line up behind the LOS.
Honestly, you could just say 4-3 LBer and those are all off-ball backers as far as I'm concerned. 3-4 OLBs are 'on-ball' linebackers.
But hell, I could be completely wrong. That's just how I use it. [Reply]
Originally Posted by InChiefsHeaven:
Fuck it, I'll ask...WTF is an "off ball" linebacker, and is there an example of an "on ball" linebacker. Thanks, I'll hang up and listen...
I've been saying "off-ball" because I see other people using the term. I'm kind of part of the problem.
I saw people using the term when Darius Leonard got paid, and it hasn't gone away, so I just try to keep up with the Joneses.
I refuse to say "EDGE" though. That one is stupid. I don't care if it's a more efficient and all-encompassing term for any LB or DE who can rush off the edge. For some reason every form of draft media is now using that term, but whenever you look at a depth chart or hear commentary during games regarding those positions, they always just identify it as "Here's the DE" or "Here's the OLB." They don't say EDGE. And when players introduce themselves on SNF, you don't hear, "Micah Parsons, EDGE, Penn State." If players don't call themselves that shit, why should I do it only when they're draft prospects? [Reply]
I've learned to think of linebackers these days as "off ball" and "edge", pretty much being translations of inside and outside linebackers, but with some nuance.
I think the difference between 3-4 and 4-3 formations has somewhat disappeared, because we often see even two-man lines. So now you've got a bunch of guys who are bigger and they may be on the line or they may be off the line, but their job is mostly to get into the backfield. They're pass rushers on passing downs and they stand the line on rushing downs, basically the same as an old school 4-3 DE or 3-4 OLB. They're just both nowadays.
I see "off ball" linebackers as guys who aren't as big as the edge players. They're typically behind the linemen and edge guys, and they're covering the short pass routes, getting out to the edges, and shooting gaps on running plays. Their job is to make tackles and break up passes rather than rushing the passer. They're more like a traditional old-school middle linebacker, but they're playing anywhere inside or outside.
Bolton and Gay are quintessential off-ball linebackers according to this definition. They're fast sideline to sideline players. Guys like Dee Ford and Justin Houston were edge players. Chenal is probably an edge, though he's kind of unclassifiable: 40 percent DL, 40 percent off ball, 20 percent edge.
I actually kind of like the fact that defenses aren't set formations any more. It's just the best 11 guys for the situation. [Reply]
Sooooo.... how hurt is Bolton? Still not practicing today. When he grabbed his ankle during the game I just about threw my beer because I was SURE he blew an Achilles. Then he was just back out there. Now, thought he hasn't been practicing and they list him with an ankle. Anybody worried? [Reply]
