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 RunKC:
Still like Bolton but man has he been exposed in coverage since the Bengals game. He has really really struggled on passing downs
He should be taken out on obvious passing downs. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Renegade:
Didn't he get beat on both passing TD's yesterday?
Maybe. On the first, pretty sure the answer s 'yes,' he got beat. He overcommitted and got beat to the inside, iirc.
On the second, it's hard to say, because I'm not sure he was supposed to be any deeper than he already was. IF he was, then he got beat again, but it sure looks like his assignment was to stay near the LoS, within ten yards of it at a guess.
Bottom line, Bolton is still learning how to play in space; he's not all the way there yet. [Reply]
Isn't Chenal also primarily a downhill, run-stuffing LB type? Doesn't really make sense to take another like him when we already have Bolton who ideally should be taken off the field on 3rd down. [Reply]
Yeah coverage from our LBs are part of the reason we get gutted over the middle. That and the safety play. Since that isn't on camera a lot and I don't watch the all 22 it's hard for me to claim to know which is the bigger issue. [Reply]
