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 htismaqe:
And yet they made it to the Super Bowl with him playing over 400 snaps. People are way too worried about something that’s largely meaningless.
They nearly did with fucking Bob Sutton too but doesn't mean his ass shouldn't have been thrown out Jazz style. [Reply]
Originally Posted by BryanBusby:
They nearly did with fucking Bob Sutton too but doesn't mean his ass shouldn't have been thrown out Jazz style.
Patience grasshopper. Niemann will be relegated to full backup status in due time. The Chiefs aren’t stupid - they have a plan. But they also had other, bigger needs.
Have I mentioned that the Chiefs have 5 new starting offensive linemen, 3 of which are on cheap rookie contracts? 😎 [Reply]
Originally Posted by htismaqe:
Patience grasshopper. Niemann will be relegated to full backup status in due time. The Chiefs aren’t stupid - they have a plan. But they also had other, bigger needs.
Have I mentioned that the Chiefs have 5 new starting offensive linemen, 3 of which are on cheap rookie contracts? 😎
Nah I get you. I was all team WR at 58 initially.
Niemann getting snaps still or not, Bolton is a us addition. [Reply]
Originally Posted by MahomesMagic:
Positives. Eventual cheap Hitchens replacement.
Negatives. Instincts.
You didn't watch his tape. Instincts are spectacular.
Sometimes when you get it wrong you're in a really bad spot, but look how often he'll get the opposition in second and long, third and long....
I’m not over the moon about this pick but I see the value in it.
Bolton is a smart, hard-working, driven, instinctual guy. He didn’t have a lot of protection in college (spent his entire career with the DT in front of him getting worked by opposing OL in conference play) but still was highly productive.
He called at least 3 different defenses in college, too. Should get installs quickly.
And more importantly, it should let them comfortably move on from Hitchens. Less help in 21 than someone like Cox, but probably more long-term value. [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
I think very few here had even heard of Speaks, not just because he was from Ol' Miss, but because he wasn't very distinguished. Bolton was the SEC leading tackler in 2019 and 2-Time All-SEC with a mediocre D-line. Very different body of work coming in. [Reply]
Bolton was projected as a 1st round pick after the 2019 season coming into the 2020 season. No way is he like Speaks. Damn some of you are fucking retarded. [Reply]
Laughable now in retrospect. Clearly Arizona saw what I saw in Zaven, just an absolute monster. Yet another LB that's going to put up insane numbers in Glendale.
That said, Bolton could be great. He may be small and his 3 cone might not wow anybody but he's got a lion's heart kind of like Mathieu. Man I was wrong about Honey Badger, I still don't know how he does it. [Reply]