National media outlet names Chiefs' most underappreciated player
Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce are undoubtedly the faces of the Kansas City Chiefs. And those two players are the main reason why the Chiefs beat the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl this past season. But while Mahomes and Kelce are the key ingredients to Kansas City's success, there are numerous other players on […]
Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce are undoubtedly the faces of the Kansas City Chiefs.
And those two players are the main reason why the Chiefs beat the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl this past season.
But while Mahomes and Kelce are the key ingredients to Kansas City's success, there are numerous other players on the Chiefs' roster that are also responsible for KC's recent accomplishments.
NFL.com recently pointed out each NFL team's most underappreciated player and they went with someone on the defensive side of the ball for the Chiefs.
NFL Network analytics expert Cynthia Frelund named linebacker Nick Bolton this week as Kansas City's most underappreciated player.
From NFL.com: Only one player (Jacksonville's Foye Oluokun) had more regular-season tackles than the 180 registered by Bolton, who set a single-season franchise record in that category. The 2021 second-rounder also logged nine games with double-digit tackles. Computer vision shows that his 2022 closing speed and angle (reflecting the last yard traveled and how squarely he made contact) was in the top 86th percentile of all LBs in the past eight seasons. NGS shows he allowed 3.7 yards after the catch per reception last season, the fourth-lowest mark among LBs.
Bolton, a second-round pick by the Chiefs in the 2021 NFL Draft, is entering his third year in the league in 2023. Last season, Bolton finished second in the NFL in total tackles with 180. The former Missouri standout should only get better from here. It won't be long until Bolton is a fixture in the Pro Bowl on an annual basis.
