Nick Bolton ranks in the all-time elite tier for linebackers — a career that places Bolton in the top 3% of all players at the position. The Knox value model assigns Bolton a career score of 78, reflecting sustained impact that most players at the position never approach.
Career Value · VORP
139 career value over replacement — #734 all-time of 4,695. 27.8/season above a replacement-level LB.
Pick #58 (Rd 2) · KC · 2021 · +31.9 vs expected KV-H
Fan Rating
Rate Nick Bolton — All-Time
Explore More
Similar Players
Season totals or exact team stints. Career totals count each season once.
| Season | Age | Team | G | GS | Defense | Snap Counts | Advanced Defense & Coverage (2018+) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tkl | Solo | Ast | TFL | QBHits | Sk | Dis | Int | PD | FF | FR | TD | Sfty | Off | Off% | Def | Def% | ST | ST% | Tgt | Cmp | Cmp% | RateAll | ADOT | Prss | Hrry | QBKD | Bltz | MissTkl | Miss% | |||||
| 2021 | 21 | KC | 16 | — | 99 | 57 | 42 | 11 | 3 | 0.0 | 14.0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 0.0% | 624 | 59.1% | 40 | 10.3% | 45 | 36 | 0.8 | 113.8 | 4.3 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 35 | 4 | 0.0 |
| 2022 | 22 | KC | 17 | — | 171 | 99 | 72 | 9 | 7 | 2.0 | 18.0 | 2 | 3 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 0.0% | 1,119 | 97.6% | 70 | 15.3% | 74 | 61 | 0.8 | 92.6 | 3.7 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 37 | 7 | 0.0 |
| 2023 | 23 | KC | 8 | — | 49 | 27 | 22 | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 0.0% | 442 | 86.3% | 24 | 11.9% | 32 | 23 | 0.7 | 82.3 | 3.8 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 23 | 2 | 0.0 |
| 2024 | 24 | KC | 16 | — | 99 | 66 | 33 | 11 | 7 | 3.0 | 21.0 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | 0.0% | 941 | 93.5% | 65 | 16.0% | 49 | 39 | 0.8 | 103.6 | 3.9 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 96 | 13 | 0.1 |
| 2025 | 25 | KC | 17 | — | 150 | 69 | 81 | 10 | 7 | 1.0 | 18.0 | 1 | 6 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 0.0% | 1,011 | 96.5% | 72 | 16.6% | 85 | 67 | 0.8 | 106.5 | 3.5 | 11 | 4 | 6 | 91 | 14 | 0.1 |
| 2026 | 26 | KC | 4 | — | 37 | 20 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 0.0% | 273 | 100.0% | 19 | 17.0% | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Career | — | 78 | — | 605 | 338 | 267 | 44 | 25 | 6.0 | 75.0 | 5 | 23 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 285 | 226 | — | — | — | 35 | 11 | 17 | 282 | 40 | — | |
6 seasons · peak 4.0 in 2024
VAL (Value Above League) measures each NFL season against that season's league; the dashed line is zero — a season that added nothing above the league's fringe. ● peak · ○ league-best season.
0.9 career wins over 6 seasons · 1 win = 13.08 VAL
Best season · 2024 · +0.3 wins
| Season | Age | Team | G | GS | Tkl | Solo | Ast | TFL | QBHits | Sk | Dis | Int | PD | FF | FR | TD | Sfty | VAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 21 | KC | 16 | 9* | 99 | 57 | 42 | 11 | 3 | 0.0 | 14.0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 22 | KC | 17 | 17* | 171 | 99 | 72 | 9 | 7 | 2.0 | 18.0 | 2 | 3 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | 2.4 |
| 2023 | 23 | KC | 8 | 7* | 49 | 27 | 22 | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1.5 |
| 2024 | 24 | KC | 16 | 15* | 99 | 66 | 33 | 11 | 7 | 3.0 | 21.0 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 2025 | 25 | KC | 17 | 16* | 150 | 69 | 81 | 10 | 7 | 1.0 | 18.0 | 1 | 6 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | 3.4 |
| 2026 | 26 | KC | 4 | 4* | 37 | 20 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0.2 |
| Career | 78 | 68* | 605 | 338 | 267 | 44 | 25 | 6.0 | 75.0 | 5 | 23 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 11.5 |
* GS not available from free sources — SG* estimated from snap share (nflverse 2012+)
| Season | Age | Team | G | GS | Off | Off% | Def | Def% | ST | ST% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 21 | KC | 16 | 9* | — | 0.0% | 624 | 59.1% | 40 | 10.3% |
| 2022 | 22 | KC | 17 | 17* | — | 0.0% | 1,119 | 97.6% | 70 | 15.3% |
| 2023 | 23 | KC | 8 | 7* | — | 0.0% | 442 | 86.3% | 24 | 11.9% |
| 2024 | 24 | KC | 16 | 15* | — | 0.0% | 941 | 93.5% | 65 | 16.0% |
| 2025 | 25 | KC | 17 | 16* | — | 0.0% | 1,011 | 96.5% | 72 | 16.6% |
| 2026 | 26 | KC | 4 | 4* | — | 0.0% | 273 | 100.0% | 19 | 17.0% |
| Career | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Career games and per-game totals are unavailable because the season rows do not establish complete career coverage. Published career totals are preserved.
* GS not available from free sources — SG* estimated from snap share (nflverse 2012+)
| Season | Age | Team | G | GS | Tgt | Cmp | Cmp% | RateAll | ADOT | Prss | Hrry | QBKD | Bltz | MissTkl | Miss% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 21 | KC | 16 | 9* | 45 | 36 | 0.8 | 113.8 | 4.3 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 35 | 4 | 0.0 |
| 2022 | 22 | KC | 17 | 17* | 74 | 61 | 0.8 | 92.6 | 3.7 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 37 | 7 | 0.0 |
| 2023 | 23 | KC | 8 | 7* | 32 | 23 | 0.7 | 82.3 | 3.8 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 23 | 2 | 0.0 |
| 2024 | 24 | KC | 16 | 15* | 49 | 39 | 0.8 | 103.6 | 3.9 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 96 | 13 | 0.1 |
| 2025 | 25 | KC | 17 | 16* | 85 | 67 | 0.8 | 106.5 | 3.5 | 11 | 4 | 6 | 91 | 14 | 0.1 |
| Career | 74 | 64* | 285 | 226 | — | — | — | 35 | 11 | 17 | 282 | 40 | — |
* GS not available from free sources — SG* estimated from snap share (nflverse 2012+)
Source: nflverse (CC-BY 4.0) · 2016–2026 · 4 games
Folded from the per-game logs on file. Home/away, result, month and division come from the NFL schedule feed; where a game has no schedule row those dimensions leave it out rather than guess, and the count is shown.
| Home / Away | G |
|---|---|
| Home | 11 |
| Away | 10 |
| Wins / Losses | G |
|---|---|
| Wins | 10 |
| Losses | 11 |
A great career by KV-H: a well-rounded profile that scores 78 of 100, era-normalized against tackles/g peers across 5 scored seasons.
Blend 78.6 × longevity 1 = KV-H 78· confidence 100%
Jordan Hicks
MLB
86% match
2021 Draft ClassmatesFull class →
VAL 3.0 measures each part of a NFL player's game in his sport's own currency against what that season's fringe players produced, converted to team wins with rates fitted from every team-season in the encyclopedia.
#19 of 967 all-time linebackers by KV-H
| Regular season / Postseason |
|---|
| G |
|---|
| Regular season | 21 |
| By opponent | G |
|---|---|
| vs BAL | 1 |
| vs BUF | 1 |
| vs DAL | 1 |
| vs DEN | 3 |
| vs DET | 1 |
| vs HOU | 1 |
| vs IND | 2 |
| vs JAX | 1 |
| vs LAC | 2 |
| vs LV | 3 |
| vs MIA | 1 |
| vs NYG | 1 |
| vs PHI | 1 |
| vs TEN | 1 |
| vs WAS | 1 |
| By month | G |
|---|---|
| January | 1 |
| September | 7 |
| October | 5 |
| November | 4 |
| December | 4 |
| Division games | G |
|---|---|
| Division | 8 |
| Non-division | 13 |
Season-by-season quality (era-relative tackles/g)
1 pre-1999 season omitted — no era norm (honest coverage gap, not fabricated).