2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Northern Iowa DL Khristian Boyd

From now until the 2023 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, all the way down to Day 3 selections, and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Northern Iowa DL Khristian Boyd.

#99 KHRISTIAN BOYD, DL, NORTHERN IOWA– (R-SENIOR) 6021, 320 POUNDS

SHRINE BOWL INVITE

MEASUREMENTS

THE GOOD

— Has a stocky, filled out frame
— Possesses a quick first step out of his stance
— Has explosiveness to get upfield as a pass rusher and gap penetrator
— Has the strength and anchor to take on blocks and get into gaps
— Utilities the push/pull, arm over/swim, and straight bull rush as a pass rusher
— Violently uses his hands to fend off blocks in his pursuit of the quarterback
— Does a good job getting hands up into passing lanes
— Has experience playing at nose tackle as well as at the 1 & 3-tech
— Shows good pursuit of the football from behind
— Experienced defender with plenty of games under his belt

THE BAD

— Lacks ideal height and length for the position
— Arm length leads to him getting latched onto blockers far too often
— Can have a tough time fighting off blocks when blocker gets his chest
— Doesn’t always play to his strength in the weight room
— Can lunge into blocks and lose leverage/pad level resulting in him on the ground
— Will struggle to get penetration against bigger, more powerful blockers
— Tends to cede ground when going against double teams
— Age and low level of production at FCS level raise questions of upside in the pros

BIO

— Redshirt Senior prospect (6th year) from Kansas City, MO
— Three-star recruit by Rivals, Led Blue Springs HS to back-to-back runner-up finishes at the state championships
— Also lettered in basketball and track in high school
— Volunteered with Micah Ministries and Won By One to Jamaica
— Posted a UNI Football School Record 38 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press at his Pro Day
— Redshirted first year on campus at UNI in 2018
—  Played in 10 games in 2019 and recorded 25 total tackles
— Played and started all seven games in UNI’s 2021 spring season, making 31 total tackles, 3.5 sacks and 5.5 tackles for loss
— Started 2 of 10 games in the fall of 2021 and tallied 20 total tackles, 3.5 tackles for a loss and 2 sacks
— Played in 10 games in 2022 and recorded 32 tackles, 1 sack, 2 forced fumbles, and 4 pass deflections
— Started every game in 2023 and had 43 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, and a pass deflection
— FCS Third Team All-American (2023), All-MVFC First Team (2023), 2023 team captain, Second Team All-MVFC (2022)
— Majoring in exercise science with a minor in strength conditioning, sports administration, and coaching

TAPE BREAKDOWN

Khristian Boyd was a standout at powerhouse Blue Springs High School in Kansas City and decided to stay in the Midwest, committing to the UNI Panthers. Boyd would spend the next six years at Northern Iowa, developing into one of the top defenders at the FCS level as the 6-2, 320-pound defensive tackle became a respected pass rusher and a quality run defender along the UNI defensive front. Boyd’s play over the years has garnered the interest of scouts, who see him as a legit NFL prospect.

When you pop in the tape on Boyd, you see a stout, stocky interior defender that possesses a fair amount of juice for a defensive lineman. He has a quick first step off the line of scrimmage at the snap of the ball, paired with impressive hand usage to utilize multiple pass rush moves. Watch Boyd in the clip below use the push/pull combo on the right guard to clear the block and get into the backfield for the sack.

Boyd does a good job clearing blocks as a pass rusher, working angles as well as ripping through the blocker’s shoulder like we saw in the clip above. We see it again in this clip, with Boyd running a stunt from the nose tackle spot as he starts to bull rush the right guard. He pushes the guard backward as he proceeds to pull him toward him, ripping through the block with his inside arm to finish at the quarterback for another sack.

Boyd’s size and strength lead to him having a strong bull rush when he can get into the blocker’s frame, jolting the offensive lineman back with the shock in his hands to knock them back on his path to penetrate the pocket. Here are a couple of examples of Boyd winning with power both as a rusher as well as a run defender, driving the offensive lineman back into the lap of the passer with the first clip resulting in a sack.

Boyd lacks the arm length to consistently control blocks and can get overwhelmed at times by sheer size and power, but he uses his stocky frame to his advantage to get underneath blockers with good leverage and fight into gaps against the run. Watch this rep against the Iowa State Cyclones as Boyd gets right into the guard’s chest, extending his arm to fight into the gap and flow with the football to make the tackle near the line of scrimmage.

Boyd didn’t test at his Pro Day due to an injury suffered during training, but he’s an explosive athlete who has the requisite speed and burst you like to see in an interior defender. He also has a great motor to pursue the football as you can see in the clip below, shedding the block as he pursues the ball carrier toward the sideline, making the tackle on the outside run after displaying great effort.

CONCLUSION

Khristian Boyd is a stout, explosive defensive lineman that does his best penetrating gaps and getting upfield to put pressure on opposing blockers. He has played head-up on the center as well as in the gaps during his time in college, having the frame and size to play in the middle if asked to do so. Still, the lack of ideal length as well as his tendencies to not always play to his physical strength likely make Boyd a better fit as a 4-3 gap penetrating defensive tackle at the next level rather than a pure 3-4 nose tackle to best utilize his strengths as a pass rusher and run defender.

When coming up with a pro comparison for Boyd, Khalen Saunders came to mind as another small-school prospect coming out a few years ago from Western Illinois who also displayed explosiveness and pass rush prowess with a near identical frame. Saunders got drafted in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft with the Chiefs and was a rotational player in two of their previous three Super Bowl runs before signing a contract with the Saints last offseason.

The Steelers need to add more depth to their defensive line, yet Boyd doesn’t normally fit their measurables due to his lack of ideal arm length. Still, he’s scheduled to have a pre-draft visit with Pittsburgh prior to the draft, meaning they have some interest in him to likely play the nose tackle spot in their base defense and possibly contribute in sub packages as well as a disruptive pass rusher.

Projection:  Day 3
Depot Draft Grade: 7.3 – Rotational Player (4th Round)
Games Watched: at Iowa State (2023), at South Dakota State (2023), at Western Illinois (2021)