Nick Bolton

Bolton's an undersized, but tenacious linebacker. He shows good football IQ and an overall good understanding of the nuances to the position. Struggles a bit to read gaps and where the running lanes are going to be - he can often be one or two gaps from where he needs to be - but has a good understanding of the game. He's constantly around the football and shows good form on tackling, but had a problem wrapping up and finishing against Georgia. Excellent at block shedding and navigating incoming offensive lineman in the run game. Needs to learn how to engage those blockers to close running lanes. He'll shake-and-bake an offensive lineman, but that ends up opening a huge hole to the other side. Might end up being just a limitation with his size. Tough player and constantly standing running backs up at the line. Plays bigger than his stature. Smooth and natural dropping back into coverage. Good lateral mobility, but wouldn't classify him as a true sideline-to-sideline guardian. Has good speed, especially when closing in on a tackle, but doesn't have the top-end speed to be running sideline to sideline. Got outran by Zamir White in the Georgia game, which is a concern. Good change of direction though and can easily flip his hips and turn and run. Overall, Bolton's an intriguing WLB at the next level that has great versatility. He can come downhill and make a play, he can blitz and apply pressure up the B-gap, or he can drop back into coverage fluidly and chase down receivers. Not a top-tier prospect in this class, but he should fill a very significant role for a NFL defense right away.

Nick Bolton selected No. 58 by Kansas City Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs have selected linebacker Nick Bolton with the No. 58 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Fantasy Impact

Bolton is a talented linebacker with first round talent. A good tackler who is a plus against the run and in the pass rush, Bolton will need to improve his pass coverage skills to become an every-down playmaker. He will form a promising young duo with Willie Gay Jr. giving the Chiefs two exciting pieces at linebacker. The future of the position is looking bright for Kansas City.