KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Most NFL front offices keep trajectories on players from the beginning through the end of the season.
That evaluation includes grades from week-to-week or scouting reports on their improvement.
Over the next week, "4th & 1" podcast analyst Nick Jacobs will break down each position on the Chiefs' roster and where each player from 2021 is in their NFL career.
Here is a look at the linebackers:
Willie Gay Jr.
A former second-round pick, Willie Gay Jr., provides a ton of promise at outsider linebacker in the Chiefs' 4-3 scheme. He can play both strong- and weak-side, but he seems to enjoy the contact in the "Sam" linebacker spot.
Gay is comfortable in zone coverage. He has the athletic ability to play man coverage and maintain good position.
I remember watching him close the distance on Tyreek Hill on a crossing route during training camp when Hill was going on a full sprint and Gay had to go from zero to 100 and deflected a Patrick Mahomes pass.
Gay represents the next era of NFL linebacker — combining good size, high upside athletism and a physical presence in run support.
Nick Bolton
A former University of Missouri star, Nick Bolton, has an opportunity to take over the defense at the middle linebacker position in 2022.
He showed glimpses of what that will look like when veteran middle linebacker Anthony Hitchens was injured early in the 2021 season.
Bolton — a second-round pick, who led the Chiefs with 112 tackles as a rookie — is a physical sideline-to-sideline linebacker who is at his best when aggressively coming down hill and attacking the ball carrier. He also provides a physical presence over the middle.
Bolton has great instincts and feel for the blocks to go with it. He is also a good open-field tackler and a sure tackler despite being a newcomer.
He plays with more confidence when he is in the middle of the defense and reacts quicker. The biggest thing he will need to work on is his drops into zone coverage.
Anthony Hitchens
Veteran Anthony Hitchens struggled to consistently showcase the same ability he put on tape down in Dallas before he hit free agency.
Back then, he looked a lot like Derrick Johnson with his ability to avoid blocks, diagnosis quickly and close the gap at the line of scrimmage, but Hitchens was never able to translate that during his time in Kansas City.
He also looks like a player who is getting ready to hit the wall with his athletic ability and currently owns a contract that doesn't match his production.
Ben Niemann
Ben Niemann showed promise as a rookie in Bob Sutton's 3-4 scheme. He struggled to replicate that once the Chiefs went to a 4-3 scheme under defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.
Niemann just lacks the athletic ability to cover as much ground as required on the edges and in sub-packages.
Opposing offenses regularly picked on Niemann with mismatches in pass coverage and he was slow to react in filling the gap.
It is time to allow him to explore other opportunities in a new NFL city.
Dorian O'Daniel
Now a free agent, Dorian O'Daniel was a player who could provide some glimpses of solid play in sub-packages with his speed and acceleration.
He just never showed an ability to put it together in training camps or preseason games during the past four seasons.
O'Daniel is a premium athlete as a special teams starter, which likely will be the path for most of his NFL career unless he finds a scheme that better showcases his athletic ability.
Outlook: The Chiefs have their cornerstones in Gay and Bolton. The goal now is to find quality depth to surround them as well as a cheap complementary player for "Will" or "Sam" opposite Gay in free agency, the draft or from the undrafted ranks to develop.
Up next in the series, Nick Jacobs will break down the secondary.
Additional Chiefs roster evaluations
Feb. 10 | Nick Jacobs: Evaluating Chiefs quarterbacks, running backs
Feb. 11 | Nick Jacobs: Evaluating Chiefs wide receivers, tight ends
Feb. 12 |Nick Jacobs: Evaluating Chiefs offensive linemen
Feb. 13 | Nick Jacobs: Evaluating Chiefs defensive linemen
Feb. 15 | Nick Jacobs: Evaluating Chiefs cornerbacks, safeties
More Chiefs offseason analysis
RELATED | Nick Jacobs: 5 ways for Chiefs to create cap space in 2022
RELATED | Nick Jacobs: Assessing Chiefs’ biggest team needs for 2022
RELATED | Expect Chiefs to be more active in free agency in 2022
