Film room: Nick Bolton the walking run stopper

Could the linebacker switch sides of the rivalry this offseason?

Especially if Robert Spillane isn’t re-signed, the Las Vegas Raiders will head into free agency next week with a need for a run-stuffing linebacker. The Raiders won’t have to look outside the division to find one on the open market, as Nick Bolton is expected to be available since the Kansas City Chiefs lack cap space.

Bolton has been a tackle machine over the last four years in Kansas City, cracking triple digits three times. The lone outlier was the 2023 campaign, when he missed nine games with an injury.

The former second-round pick out of Missouri also makes quality tackles as he’s racked up 169 defensive stops during his career, according to Pro Football Focus. He managed to log 30 defensive stops at a 9.4 percent clip against the run last season, which ranked tied for 15th and 20th, respectively, among linebackers.

With that, let’s take a look at a few examples of what the Chief could bring to the Raiders.

A big reason Bolton has been able to rack up so many tackles, and high-quality tackles at that, is he’s able to defeat blocks in several different ways.

In the play above, he flows with the Saints’ inside zone call right after the snap. That gets the center to climb to the second level on a vertical path. However, Bolton recognizes that the center is coming in hot and has a narrow base. So, he uses his quickness and athleticism to pivot inside and work underneath the block.

Also, the linebacker uses his hands to escape cleanly and be in position to make the tackle near the line of scrimmage when the running back cuts up the field.

This time, Kansas City sends the backer on a blitz against the split zone call from New Orleans. Bolton disguises it pre-snap by staying at his normal depth and times up his crash downhill well to make the guard’s block difficult. On top of that, he stays on balance through contact and redirects to penetrate the backfield and get involved in the TFL.

That’s a great example of how his speed, play recognition/football IQ and athleticism can be an asset in the running game.

Here’s another example of Bolton’s instincts as a run defender. The Falcons run outside zone and notice how he reads the center and immediately flows laterally with the offensive line once the ball is snapped.

Also, he runs at a 45-degree angle so he can gain ground vertically while moving horizontally. That allows the linebacker to be the aggressor against the center. So, when the center pays too much attention to the first level on the combo block, the backer catches the offense lineman off-guard to win at the point of attack.

To finish, Bolton gets off the block and into the backfield to make the TFL.

Fair warning, these next three clips might hurt to watch as Jackson Powers-Johnson and the Raiders’ offensive line had a tough time against Bolton in their Week 13 matchup.

Kansas City shifts its second-level defenders against Las Vegas’ long-trap call, changing the picture on Powers-Johnson post-snap. That puts Bolton in a great position to defeat Powers-Johnson’s block with a rip move, showing another way Bolton can beat offensive linemen in the running game.

Additionally, this is another good example of the linebacker’s contact balance. By playing with a wide base and using the rip move, he can fight through the contact from the center and still be in a position to make the tackle near the line of scrimmage. That reduces the margin for error for offensive linemen, forcing them to get clean blocks on him to take him out of the play.

Here, we’ll get another example of impressive instincts and physicality from Bolton.

The Raiders run a halfback toss off a pin-and-pull concept. Bolton is quick to read the play, immediately working laterally or flowing to the outside after the snap. That allows him to beat Powers-Johnson to the spot and meet the pulling right tackle, DJ Glaze, in the gap.

At the point of attack, the backer is physical and uses his hands to defeat Glaze’s block, effectively beating two offensive linemen while still making the tackle. That’s one way to be a disruptive run defender.

We’ll wrap up with one more example of Bolton’s impressive instincts as a run defender.

Pre-snap, he’s responsible for the right A-gap against this balanced formation from Las Vegas. However, the Raiders run long trap where the playside guard pulls to kick out the edge defender. So, the 3-technique defensive tackle lined up over the pulling guard has the A-gap taken care of while the offense is creating a new gap to the outside.

The Raiders are hoping that the linebacker hesitates, giving the center enough time to climb up to the second level and at least get a piece of the backer. But Bolton quickly reads his keys and recognizes that the A-gap — his pre-snap responsibility — is taken care of.

So, he adjusts on the fly, beats Powers-Johnson to the spot and shoots the outside gap to get an unblocked tackle at the line of scrimmage.