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 Urc Burry:
Ehhhh. This might be the first time I’ve ever seen Bolton overrated. I would think closer to 90 until he can improve in coverage. Yes, I just took a madden ranking seriously
I completely forgot Anthony Hitchens existed until scrolling back in this thread. Man he was a bum. One of Veach’s biggest misses
Now back to homer glasses on. IF Bolton can take a step against the pass, and if George can improve off his rookie year… am I crazy to think we could have a top 7-8 defense?
Edit: I see now that was a fake madden ranking :-)
Hitchens was a good leader and smart, he was instrumental in implementing spags defense, he wasn't great, but far from a bum... [Reply]
Originally Posted by IowaHawkeyeChief:
Hitchens was a good leader and smart, he was instrumental in implementing spags defense, he wasn't great, but far from a bum...
Then why has no one signed him still? He was cut by Veach and no one wanted him. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Dunerdr:
In my head I wouldnt expect him that high, then you look at the list and its kind of like yeah that makes a lot of sense.
Originally Posted by tredadda:
Then why has no one signed him still? He was cut by Veach and no one wanted him.
I wasn't a huge Hitchens fan, but he played pretty well in our first SB run. He was big in stopping Derrick Henry in that playoff game. He wasn't horrible, but he never should have been starting over Bolton. [Reply]
Originally Posted by IowaHawkeyeChief:
Hitchens was a good leader and smart, he was instrumental in implementing spags defense, he wasn't great, but far from a bum...
He was there, never made a big play. I don't even think once. His biggest play IMO was that monster block on a fumble or interception but it was a penalty. He's a JAG at best. With him there, our LB core was a huge weakness until Willie Gay and Nick Bolton started playing together and he was gone. Now it's our strength. [Reply]
Originally Posted by dlphg9:
I wasn't a huge Hitchens fan, but he played pretty well in our first SB run. He was big in stopping Derrick Henry in that playoff game. He wasn't horrible, but he never should have been starting over Bolton.
Hitchens was horrible. It's no mistake he didn't even get a sniff after being released. [Reply]
