Niners Nation
Nick Bolton is young, played on a successful defense, but is likely expensive. Is he out of the price range for the 49ers?
The negotiating window for NFL free agency is less than a month away. With the recent news of the salary cap going up close to $25 million in 2025, teams could elect to be more aggressive than they initially anticipated.
The San Francisco 49ers have a decision to make at linebacker. Dee Winters showed promise in Year 2. Dre Greenlaw is a difference-maker but also an unrestricted free agent. Depending on how the Niners view Winters or whether they’ll elect to re-sign Greenlaw despite an extensive injury history, it could determine if the team signs a linebacker outside of the building.
Pro Football Network has a linebacker in mind, and it’s neither Winters nor Greenlaw starting next to Fred Warner. Instead, it’s a former linebacker from the Kansas City Chiefs:
San Francisco 49ers
Nick Bolton, LB
The San Francisco 49ers are coming off a tough season, but they are in a relatively good position regarding their roster as a whole. The main positions they need to address are offensive line, defensive line, and linebacker.
It is intriguing to put a player like Nick Bolton next to Fred Warner. Bolton was the centerpiece of the Chiefs’ offense and has the chance to be Warner’s long-term partner in the center of the 49ers defense. We have seen that the 49ers place a high importance on the position and Bolton could be the next evolution of that.
Bolton has three 100-tackle seasons in his first four years and has also proven a nuisance around the quarterback. He is a versatile piece that feels like a luxury for the 49ers, but he can get after the passer or drop into coverage. The thought of Warner and Bolton together in a defense will be terrifying for opposing offenses.
Bolton turns 25 in March. The Chiefs didn’t play their starters in Week 18, so Bolton only missed one game last season. But in 2023, he missed over half the year after a wrist injury in Week 7.
The former second-round pick has mixed reviews. Bolton is a player that I’ve struggled to evaluate over the years. From what I’ve seen, Bolton is a liability in coverage and an inconsistent tackler. Both have led to him giving up big plays. During his four-year career, Bolton has allowed nearly 80 percent of his 109 targets to be completed. He also had 20 missed tackles last season and 17 in 2023, despite only starting eight games.
The “boom” part of Bolton’s game is that he fits the 49ers scheme in the sense that he is aggressive and borderline reckless coming forward. He had 18 tackles for loss and 14 pressures in 2024. The Chiefs love blitzing their second-level defenders, and that’s an area where Bolton excelled.
Playing on a successful defense could price Bolton out of the...
