Kansas City Chiefs rookie linebacker Nick Bolton has been named the National Football League’s Defensive Rookie of the Month for October, via an announcement made on Thursday celebrating the early production from both Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris and then Bolton on the defensive side.
Offensive and Defensive Rookies of the Month! (October)@ohthatsNajee22 | @_nickbolton2 pic.twitter.com/GiVZaAXUK8
— NFL (@NFL) November 4, 2021
The Chiefs selected Bolton in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft with their first overall pick in the draft—with two selections in that second round thanks to the trade with the Baltimore Ravens that involved their own first-round pick and offensive tackle Orlando Brown, Jr. Creed Humphrey was the other second-round pick.
The Chiefs have been watching Bolton blossom from game to game as he’s earned plenty of playing time since the very beginning of the regular season due to injuries to both of the veterans ahead of him (though “veteran” feels like a funny way to refer to Willie Gay Jr.). Both Gay Jr. and Anthony Hitchens. Bolton definitely took his licks early in the season in coverage where his known weakness was exposed by a thin Chiefs linebacking corps that simply couldn’t protect him from such situations.
Since then, however, Bolton has grown in coverage while looking like a beast against the run. The standout effort that turned heads on a national level was Bolton’s performance in a losing effort to the Tennessee Titans—specifically as it pertained to Derrick Henry‘s lack of production. Bolton was one of the lone highlights for Kansas CIty from that entire 24-point loss and Bolton’s four tackles for loss had analysts buzzing.
What has Chiefs Kingdom so excited about the heart of the defense at this point is that Gay is back and playing healthy and he’s had two interceptions over the last two weeks. It’s a sign that their second-round tandem is turning into the very sort of game-changing second level that general manager Brett Veach envisioned