2021 NFL Draft: Missouri LB Nick Bolton a first-round prospect?
Is Missouri linebacker Nick Bolton a first-round prospect in the 2021 NFL Draft?
The linebacker position group was not the most top-heavy in the 2020 NFL Draft, to put it nicely, but the 2021 NFL Draft class could feature a number of big-time playmakers with first-round ability.
One of the players who burst onto the scene in 2019 was Missouri’s Nick Bolton, a first-team All-SEC selection whose ability against the run and in coverage was unmatched among off-ball linebackers in the entire country last season.
Bolton’s sophomore season was absolutely tremendous and he loaded up the stat sheet with 103 total tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, a sack, two interceptions, and seven passes defended.
This guy has a well-rounded game and if he continues to improve this season? Look out.
One of the best all-around linebackers in the country
Highest graded SEC run defenders
— PFF College (@PFF_College) March 21, 2020
1. Jordan Elliott, DI - 91.1
2. K.J. Britt, LB - 90.2
3. Nick Bolton, LB - 89.8 pic.twitter.com/sY5cPpVGHL
No linebacker finished with a higher grade in coverage than Nick Bolton did in 2019. pic.twitter.com/nKxHycz5vR
— PFF College (@PFF_College) January 23, 2020
With his range, physicality in the trenches, and coverage ability, it’s not out of the realm of possibility to think that Bolton could wind up being the first linebacker off the board in the 2021 NFL Draft, even over highly touted players like Penn State’s Micah Parsons and Alabama’s Dylan Moses.
Despite being just six feet tall and 235 pounds, Bolton takes on blocks really well and finds his way through the mud to the ball carrier with excellent balance and awareness of everything around him.
Both in coverage and against the run, this is a player who relies on instincts and reactive quickness, and he’s not guessing out there. He’s patient and knifes through the line of scrimmage with great short-area burst and quickness, and he hits like a ton of bricks.
Bolton doesn’t let much get past him, and for him to be named a 1st-team All-SEC selection this past season with some of the strong linebacker play across the conference speaks volumes to how effective he was all throughout the season.
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If he continues this trajectory into the 2020 season, there’s no doubt he could be one of the top linebackers off the board in the 2021 NFL Draft.