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 Kiimosabi:
I will never let myself live this down. I can't believe how wrong I was about this guy, he's going to be our best defensive player.
His ability can't be measured on athletic scores, he's one of those rare guys who just keeps making plays. I thought he was too small and too slow. Nope.
I mean, if you're going to be wrong, that's a pretty fucking great way to be wrong. [Reply]
I'm glad to say that I was wrong in my initial assessment of Bolton. Like many here I thought he wasn't big enough and lacked a top-tier athleticism necessary to be anything more than a journeyman LB. What I guess i didn't account for was his work ethic and his football IQ. He may well be the Chiefs defensive QB for many years to come. And long may he reign! [Reply]
Here's what Coach Spagnuolo had to say about Nick Bolton's level of readiness to be the defensive playcaller in Week 1. The dude appears ready to go. pic.twitter.com/HqyPr7asFY
I've never seen Spags damn near giddy talking about a player like that before. The guy has doe eyes, for fuck's sake...
Seriously - anyone that's in an IDP needs to scoop this kid up. He's going to be a damn monster. I don't think the season Leonard has as a rookie is out of the question at all; 160+ tackles, 10+ TFL, 5+ sacks, a couple picks, maybe a score in there.
I think he'll put up numbers that make it impossible to ignore him in the 'best LBer in football' conversations. He's just going to fly out there. [Reply]