Nick Bolton is on the shorter side but he’s extremely densely built and is amazing in the run game. It is clear that he is mentally ahead of many other linebackers and he looks to be a great fit as a Mike Linebacker for 4-3 teams or an inside linebacker for 3-4 teams. He seems to be a better fit in zone than man and specifically shallow zone teams. Bolton is going to be a safe pick for some team with a high floor and low ceiling.

Strengths: 

  • High Football IQ

Immediately what jumps off of the page for Nick Bolton is his football IQ. He’s great at anticipating plays before they happen and it’s clear that he watches a lot of tape. He’s also great at reacting once the plays and quickly hustling to the ball. He has great instincts and gets to the ball quickly but he’s also very patient and rarely overcommits. He often aligns the Missouri defense and it’s clear he’s the leader of that group.

  • Good Playing Downhill

Bolton is at his best playing downhill both in the run game and pass game. In the run game he’s a linear player and if he’s only responsible for one gap he will fill it fast and sort through traffic to get there. In the pass game he closes on routes in front of him quickly and will deliver big hits.

  • Good Tackler

He’s a surefire tackler who wraps up and finishes tackles rather than arm tackling. Seeing missed tackles from him is rare.

  • Big Hitter

When tackling he delivers big hits and can bring energy to a defense. He doesn’t exactly seek for the ball but he brings enough tenacity that teams may be hesitant to throw over the middle.

  • Good in Limited Coverage Snaps

In zone coverage he’s solid on anything in front of him and he’s not terrible on plays over his head either. He gains ground backward quickly as well. In man coverage he’s quick to diagnose his assignment and he has the movement skills and size to guard running backs.

  • Works Through Traffic

He works through traffic extremely well and is often able to get to past blockers because of how quickly he diagnoses plays. He’s good at bouncing off of blockers quickly as well.

  • Good Effort

He’s a high effort player as well and he’s going 100% until the end. 

Weaknesses:

  • Average Athleticism

Nick Bolton is a bit of a smaller linebacker and he does not possess the height, weight, speed combination people are hoping for in a top linebacker.

  • Not Great Laterally/In Space

He’s not great in space at all and when tasked with tackling agile players in the open field he doesn’t fare well. Even in zone coverage where he tends to do well he doesn’t gain much movement laterally limiting his ability to affect throwing lanes behind him.

  • Not Good in Short Yardage Situations

In short yardage situations he’s not the greatest player because he gets overwhelmed by the size and waits too long to attack downhill.

  • Takes Bad Angles

Sometimes the angles he takes aren’t the greatest either. He’s not the slowest player on the field but sometimes he overestimates his speed just a little.

  • Doesn’t Disengage Quick

He does a good enough job avoiding the blockers but once blockers get into him he’s not great at disengaging.

  • One Gap Scheme Only

Bolton worked much better when only tasked with attacking one gap and when he had to choose between gaps his short area quickness did him no favors.

  • Doesn’t Make Big Plays

Bolton is the typical textbook linebacker who makes safe tackles which limits his ability to make big plays. His ceiling also isn’t all that high either as he’s below average athletically in most categories. 

Player Comp: My comp for Nick Bolton is Avery Williamson. Williamson is a bit bigger than Bolton is, but he’s also a guy who didn’t have elite traits but was a smart, surefire tackler, who occasionally delivered big hits, and wasn’t great in space just like Bolton. I also think that Bolton will be almost exactly as good as Williamson is now, which doesn’t happen too often with these player comparisons.

Final Thoughts: Nick Bolton is a player that I like just a bit more than others, which is in the early round 2 range. Bolton is lacking physical traits but he’s an extremely safe player which is fine at the LB position. One team that I love for Bolton is the Green Bay Packers, where he can take over one of the two inside linebacker spots where the Packers got poor production last year. The Chiefs are also a good option with Bolton being the potential replacement for Anthony Hitchens.