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 DaneMcCloud:
The way I look at it is that the Orlando Brown jr acquisition and the Creed Humphrey selection made it so the Chiefs crushed the 2021 draft.
Those two guys alone are really more than I expected in one offseason. Add in Jarran Reed and Veach gets an A+++.
If Bolton and any other selection can make an impact in 2021 and beyond, even better.
If we roll out the Clark-Reed-Pennel-Jones line like some Chiefs writers are thinking...
Originally Posted by RunKC:
I know I’ll get flamed for this but it feels a bit like the Speaks pick. I trust Veach but I was very meh on this kid.
I’m not hating. But this was very “meh” to me. Like I wasn’t excited.
Hope I’m wrong obviously bc he apparently is smart as hell and can replace Hitch. Just my 2 cents
After the Speaks pick, Veach said the guy was so powerful he was never on the ground. And that was followed by the famous clip of Speaks waving at the camera from the ground.
It is nothing like that. Speaks looks liked slow motion in his highlight tape versus Bolton. [Reply]
Originally Posted by RunKC:
I know I’ll get flamed for this but it feels a bit like the Speaks pick. I trust Veach but I was very meh on this kid.
I’m not hating. But this was very “meh” to me. Like I wasn’t excited.
Hope I’m wrong obviously bc he apparently is smart as hell and can replace Hitch. Just my 2 cents
Not even close. Speaks was overdrafted and we traded up for him which made it worse. This is a lower risk pick at a position we needed to upgrade [Reply]
Watch his tape. This guy flies all over the field and has a nose for the ball. Bolton delivers the thump and is a sure tackler. Some had him rated in the top 20 players of this draft. Bolton is damn good football player and will help improve our defense. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Chiefspants:
I’m assuming he’s brought back cheap in a down cap year. It may not happen, but that line is fun to think about.
Yeah, it wouldn't be surprising to see him back on a one year deal.
And as we all know, Veach is just getting started this offseason because once the draft is over, he'll be scouring rosters for potential cuts and trades. [Reply]
As a Mizzou fan, he was one of the only elite players on our defense the last couple years.
Despite heavy focus being put on keeping him away from the play by opposing offenses, he was still highly productive each and every week.
He's a gamer, a highly cerebral, PHYSICAL player. He will make our defense better. I don't know if he will ever be an all pro, but I think he will if nothing else be a really solid player for us. [Reply]
So many folks love to downplay the importance of good line-backers and it's naive imo. We saw first hand in the SB how they can impact the game and the best defenses always have guys in the middle who can fly around, cover and go side to side. Gay and Bolton will be the most athletic duo we've ever had in the middle of the field probably and Nick is said to be a good leader too. So I'm happy with this pick...he looks similar to Devin Bush to me. [Reply]
Originally Posted by comochiefsfan:
I will say this about Nick Bolton.
As a Mizzou fan, he was one of the only elite players on our defense the last couple years.
Despite heavy focus being put on keeping him away from the play by opposing offenses, he was still highly productive each and every week.
He's a gamer, a highly cerebral, PHYSICAL player. He will make our defense better. I don't know if he will ever be an all pro, but I think he will if nothing else be a really solid player for us.
If we get that at end of the second then I’m happy. [Reply]
Originally Posted by IowaHawkeyeChief:
Typical haters in here that wanted a receiver. We have 2 elite targets in HIll and Kelce and this new offensive line will make any #3 and #4 look good with Mahomes and the Defense not being able to drop 7-8 every down...
