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The Kansas City Chiefs may not have had a first-round pick this year, but they made solid moves in the 2021 NFL Draft. Here are three that stand out.
The Kansas City Chiefs followed up a devastating Super Bowl 55 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a fantastic offseason. General manager Brett Veach should be commended for the work he did in free agency and on the trading block. But there was one more step for Veach to solidify this great start to the new league year — having a stellar NFL Draft.
Kansas City did not own a first-round pick this year, thanks in part to acquiring their potential left tackle of the future in Orlando Brown Jr. Even so, the Chiefs nailed the 2021 edition of the draft. But when it comes to the best moves Veach made, these three stand out.
Filling out linebacker corps with Nick Bolton
When looking at needs on the Chiefs’ roster, the most glaring was at linebacker. Considering they had no first-round pick, Kansas City had to wait until near the tail-end of the second round to make their first selection. And they did not waste it.
With the 58th-overall pick, the Chiefs took a local player in Missouri linebacker Nick Bolton. Through his collegiate career, Bolton showed that he is effective against the run and can immediately seek out the ball carrier before they can make an impact.
Through his three seasons at Missouri, Bolton recorded 220 total tackles (17.5) for loss, four sacks, two interceptions, one fumble recovery and one defensive touchdown.
Bolton now fills out Kansas City’s linebacker corps alongside veteran Anthony Hitchens and second-year player Willie Gay. It was a smart investment for Veach on his very first selection of the weekend.