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 The Franchise:
Plus he was responsible for lining up the defense at Mizzou. I’m not calling Gay stupid but Bolton is more intelligent.
Absolutely. More intelligent along with more experience. [Reply]
Originally Posted by TRR:
I hear a lot of people stating Bolton won’t see the field much because Gay didn’t in his rookie season. The difference is Gay barely played his final year in college due to an 8 game suspension, then arrived in KC with an abbreviated ramp up to the season. Bolton played a lot of games the last 2 seasons, and should have a full offseason and preseason to get up to speed.
The main thing that will keep Bolton off the field, if anything, is that we already have Hitchens.
Bolton is an inside LB. He CAN play the will but that's not his ultimate position.
I think Bolton will play more than Gay did but I don't expect to see him getting a ton of snaps early in the season because they're going to have to find ways to get him on the field.
Originally Posted by htismaqe:
The main thing that will keep Bolton off the field, if anything, is that we already have Hitchens.
Bolton is an inside LB. He CAN play the will but that's not his ultimate position.
I think Bolton will play more than Gay did but I don't expect to see him getting a ton of snaps early in the season because they're going to have to find ways to get him on the field.
He'll be fine, regardless.
I would actually like to see Gay in the Will spot and play Bolton at SAM. I think that woudl be a nice fit for a year, then Bolton can slide to that MLB spot. [Reply]
Originally Posted by O.city:
I would actually like to see Gay in the Will spot and play Bolton at SAM. I think that woudl be a nice fit for a year, then Bolton can slide to that MLB spot.
Gay spent much of last year learning the sam though. :-) [Reply]
Originally Posted by htismaqe:
The main thing that will keep Bolton off the field, if anything, is that we already have Hitchens.
Bolton is an inside LB. He CAN play the will but that's not his ultimate position.
I think Bolton will play more than Gay did but I don't expect to see him getting a ton of snaps early in the season because they're going to have to find ways to get him on the field.
He'll be fine, regardless.
Fair, although he’ll start at the Will in base D, and I think he’ll eventually get some run at MLB in order to preserve Hitchens a bit. Especially with a 17 game season as the new norm. [Reply]
Originally Posted by TRR:
Fair, although he’ll start at the Will in base D, and I think he’ll eventually get some run at MLB in order to preserve Hitchens a bit. Especially with a 17 game season as the new norm.
Given how reticent the Chiefs are to play rookies, I won't say he's going to start anywhere but it's certainly possible. [Reply]
Anthony Hitchens makes the "hurt" list but it's still good news for the Chiefs...
4) Chiefs linebacker Anthony Hitchens
The Kansas City Chiefs have used a second-round pick on a linebacker for the second year in row. Last year it was Willie Gay Jr.. This time around it's Missouri's Nick Bolton. What does this mean for Hitchens? Simply put, there's a good chance this could be his last year with this franchise. Hitchens has been one of Kansas City's defensive leaders since 2018 -- when he signed a five-year, $45 million free agent deal -- but his major impact always has been as a signal-caller who gets his teammates lined up consistently. The Chiefs have needed more athleticism in their linebacking corps for years, which is why Bolton is now here. It remains to be seen how long it takes for Bolton to pick things up but the important figure to remember here is Hitchens' cap number. He could save the team $8.5 million in cap space if he's released after the 2021 season. With Bolton and Gay in place, it's hard to see how the Chiefs don't take advantage of that opportunity. [Reply]
Originally Posted by htismaqe:
The concerns about Bolton's coverage ability are overblown.
He's eventually going to settle at MLB. He's not going to be covering RB's and TE's as much as people think because they're just assuming he's going to be outside.
My issue is that Bolton will have to have the instincts bordering on clairvoyance to succeed, because he doesn't have recovery speed or agility to make up a mistake. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Tribal Warfare:
My issue is that Bolton will have to have the instincts bordering on clairvoyance to succeed, because he doesn't have recovery speed or agility to make up a mistake.
Good thing instincts are one of his best qualities.
I love how some of you talk as if he’s as athletic as Reggie Ragland. His speed is fine, and I’d bet his 10 yard split is above average. He plays fast. Stop just looking at the #s and watch the tape. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Tribal Warfare:
My issue is that Bolton will have to have the instincts bordering on clairvoyance to succeed, because he doesn't have recovery speed or agility to make up a mistake.
I was thinking the same thing. You can see that on his tape as well [Reply]
