KC Chiefs vs. Bills recap: Quick thoughts from the Divisional Round
By Matt Conner
Nick Bolton’s future is bright
Every draft pick, they say, is really about finding a contributor in his second season. While it’s nice for some rookies to be able to find ways to impact the game during their freshman seasons in the NFL, most picks are about laying a long-term foundation knowing their first year will require a learning curve.
When it comes to Nick Bolton, however, the Chiefs have gotten plenty from the rookie linebacker out of Missouri. The Chiefs drafted him in the second round to form a dynamic young tandem in the second level of the defense with Willie Gay Jr., and he looked like the eventual successor for Anthony Hitchens. While that might be true long-term, Bolton has been a tackling machine for the Chiefs all season playing in place of and alongside both Gay and Hitchens when injuries crept in.
Even after such a long season, Bolton is still flying into opposing backfields at an alarming rate and he came up huge against the Bills multiple times with that same instinctual excellence that gave him 112 tackles including 11 for a loss during the regular season. He finished the game with 8 total tackles and another 1 for a loss. He’s going to be very good for a long time in the heart of this Chiefs defense.