Key Chiefs Linebacker Makes Top Ten List As His Position

The Kansas City Chiefs had a lot of things go wrong last season, but their linebacking play was nowhere near the top of the list. There were some spotty moments here and there, especially down the stretch, but one thing the Chiefs could rely on was the steady and sometimes stellar play of off-ball linebacker Nick Bolton, who was recognized for it yesterday. 

Jeremy Fowler of ESPN has been doing his annual list of the top ten players as each position, and Bolton made it at off-ball linebacker. He came in at No. 8, which was noteworthy given Kansas City’s overall struggles last season. 

Fowler justified Bolton’s ranking based on his production, but this is a group that’s named based on a survey of scouts, evaluators, coordinators and executives. Bolton recorded ten tackles for loss for the second straight season, Fowler added, and his 4.6 career run stop percentages leads all NFL linebackers since he entered the league in 2021. 

The writer also referred to Bolton as a “field general,” and he compared the Chiefs linebacker to Fred Warner of the San Francisco 49ers, who topped the list at No. 1. 

"He's got instincts, toughness and production," an AFC executive said. "His long speed in coverage is just average, which caps him a little bit."

But that didn’t hinder Bolton’s willingness to move around on a defense that often needed extra help at different positions. According to Fowler, Bolton played 23 snaps in the slot cornerback position and four at safety.

That shouldn’t happen this season, however, because help is on the way. The Chiefs drafted to bolster their defense, picking cornerback Mansoor Delane and defensive tackle Peter Woods in the first round, then adding edge rusher R Mason Thomas in the second round. 

The addition of Thomas should especially help the linebacking group. The Chiefs were hoping that defensive end George Karlaftis would step up and increase his sack total, but that didn’t happen. One of the Chiefs’ biggest problems was that the pass rush didn’t get home a lot in the second half of the season, and that left Kansas City exposed in coverage. 

Butler’s versatility will still have huge value, though. All three of the new defensive players that were drafted will be rookies, which means they’ll make mistakes. A veteran linebacker like Bolton with his leadership skills can help make up for a lot of mistakes, so look for him to be in the middle of things throughout the defense this season.