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.
For those of you old enough to remember Derrick Johnson in his prime, this guy is working his way to that level.
DJ was incredible. He also got royally fucked on a Marcus Mariota strip sack that they said was "forward progress stopped", the WORST call in NFL history. [Reply]
Originally Posted by lcarus:
Also picked up Drue Tranquill. Defense is gonna be sick this year.
With our roster and game planning, it wouldn't shock me if a bunch of teams forfeited against us this year. Why risk injury in a game where you're probably not going to be competitive at all? [Reply]
A buddy of mine is a Chargers fan and he mentioned Tranquill being slow in pass coverage. He got burnt by Kelce in the last game we played San Diego.
We are very deep at LB so I'm not too worried but it's still an interesting observation. [Reply]
Originally Posted by JohnnyHammersticks:
Bolton, Gay, Chenal, Tranquill. Hard to imagine all 4 being on our roster a year from now. Who do you think we move?
I think it will be Gay.
Do you mean "move" as in move on from? Because Gay and Tranquil are neither under contract for 2024, it's entirely possible we lose them both. I think Bolton is the only LB we pay. [Reply]
I think Gay will be gone outright, and I think Tranquill is going to play himself into some big money that we won't be able to afford this season. [Reply]
Originally Posted by scho63:
For those of you old enough to remember Derrick Johnson in his prime, this guy is working his way to that level.
DJ was incredible. He also got royally ****ed on a Marcus Mariota strip sack that they said was "forward progress stopped", the WORST call in NFL history.
Yeah, but what’s crazy is, DJ took a few years to get rolling. Including a benching by Todd Haley that seemed to light a fire under him. Bolton already has “it”, and that’s scary… for every other team in the league. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Kiimosabi:
I kind of disagree Gay will be gone. It seems pretty trendy to assume that but unless he has anymore off the field stuff I think he's staying
I think hes been pretty up and down, is the second best line backer on this team, may be the third best, and will get a middle of the road contract. [Reply]
