YouTube Bret Kollman's take on Khristian Boyd (6 Viewers)

[Whodat GT]

Another great scouting report on a draft pick: this time, Khristian Boyd - (DT Northern Iowa). Starts at the 51:35 mark.



Notes:

- Best value pick for the Saints.
- Visited entire league.
- Dominated the Shrine Bowl.
- Tons of power at 6'2 325 pounds. Is a Nose tackle but he is more than that. He can hold up against double teams, can dominate guards 1 on 1.
- Also a good pass rusher: legitimate pass rush moves. Good feet, good hips, one of the better interior pass rushers in Shrine Bowl week.
-Positional versatility.
- He could play from true 0 to 3 tech.

 

[Jesse Custer]

I'm weirdly hyped to see him playing 0-tech next to Bresee. I think he'll be starting next to Bresee by mid-season.

 

[ELLIASJWILLIAMS]

I'm weirdly hyped to see him playing 0-tech next to Bresee. I think he'll be starting next to Bresee by mid-season.

I don't have my hopes up. I think, when you look at the body type...there weren't many NT's in this draft. You had him, Sweat, and maybe 1 or 2 others?!?! The 2025 draft is littered with them. If he pans out great, but if he doesn't I don't doubt they'll be able to find a guy next year...especially if Saunders continues to be underwhelming. Notice they didn't extend his contract, meaning they didn't want to allocate resources to him anymore than they already had, meanwhile we did move around some money for Nathan Shepherd who had a much more solid year.

Now what does have me hype about him, is I watched his post draft interview, and he seems to understand the nature of the business. How battling against grown men trying to pay their mortgage and feed their kids, changes thing and makes it more intense. So he comes in having an understanding of what it will take, that's invaluable to me.

 

[MSUSousaphone]

DTs and especially NTs take time to develop. There's such a huge difference in young man strength and old man strength and that position needs it. With NTs it's usually best to lessen immediate expectations. I could see him and Bresee being a formidable duo in 2026 or 2027.

 

[Whodat GT]

Keyword is role.. he will not have the responsibility to play 3 down DT. He will step into a rotation... if he is at least adequate against the run, then that's a win for this year.

 

[Plow]

But can he tote the rock like Khalen Saunders?

 

[SaintStephen1]

If he is as good as that analysis shows and the great demand on DTs, why was he still available so late?

 

[Whodat GT]

Short arms, level of competition if I had to guess.

Here is a short film breakdown:

 

[B_doggman47]

If he is as good as that analysis shows and the great demand on DTs, why was he still available so late?

I think it was due to level of competition, where they had him ranked and what round they had him graded to being drafted. It depends on how many teams were in the market for a NT type. It could be a number of reasons. I know the Saints have been needing one for some time now and we may have gotten good value and a good player with Boyd.

 

[bobad]

I'm excited about him. He did 38 reps and has good quickness, so the coaches have something to work with. He's behind the 8 ball with his lack of length, so his conditioning will be very important.

 

[Snakehead]

We need to discuss Khristian Boyd. We are in the Pro Day time of year, after the Combine and before the Draft. We are also in the slow period of FA after the mad rush during the tampering period. Since we drafted last year, a lot has changed. We revamped the coaching staff and will be changing defenses to Brandon Staley's 3-4 Gap and a Half Defense. Cam called out the previous coaching staff on not developing/teaching players. Cam just made another comment after ensuring he's here for 2025 about Foskey and Boyd, which if you look back at his comment from the end of the season, it tracks.
We traded for Godchaux a NT and extended Khalen Saunders.
We extended Chase Young.

There have been multiple comments about the trenches, teams built through the lines, etc. CKM just won a SB with a dominant D-line and O-line.

What do we have in Boyd? Where would he fall in this draft for the 0 and 3 Tech guys?

I mentioned in the rookie offense weapons thread about PK using a total of 3 numbers to indicate explosiveness and how 75 is the number he and others look for. Boyd's number is 74.7 with his 38 reps on the bench, 8'2' broad jump and 28.5" vertical.

Reading through his draft profile/projections, it looks like he can play either NT or the 4i in Staley's defense based on his strengths.

Khristian Boyd Defensive Line Northern Iowa | NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report

Rating: 79.9 Rank: #35 Forty: 5.10 Khristian Boyd's NFL draft outlook is that of a strong rotational piece with the potential for growth into a more significant role. His robust frame and ra...

www.nfldraftbuzz.com

Scouting Report: Strengths​

• Boasts a robust, compact frame with significant mass and density, ideal for the defensive line.
• Displays explosive first-step quickness and excellent initial acceleration off the line.
• Employs a strong arm-over technique and a powerful push-pull move, disrupting offensive lines effectively.
• Exhibits elite core strength, enabling him to one-gap zone blocks and force runners to alter their paths.
• Possesses the ability to absorb and withstand double teams and combo blocks, holding his ground firmly.
• Demonstrates a high motor and consistent effort in pursuit, effectively closing spaces between the hashes.
• Versatile in positioning, capable of playing from 0-tech to 3-tech, adding strategic value to defensive schematics.
• His pass-rush arsenal includes swipes, cross-chops, and the ability to leverage his lower body strength in bull rushes.

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10115130-khristian-boyd-nfl-draft-2024-scouting-report-for-northern-iowa-dl

 

[ELLIASJWILLIAMS]

Shorter arms(31) may limit him but trying him at 0-4i would be worth it. You’d like a little more length but his upper body strength may even things out. He’ll be an interesting watch

 

[Snakehead]

When I read this article about Staley's defense, compared to what Boyd's strengths are, I see a guy who can play in Staley's system where is should maximize his strengths and mitigate his weaknesses.

One, One-and-a-Half, and Two-Gap—A Simplified Explanation

By John Turney Last year we mentioned Brandon Staley's "gap-and-a-half" front but we never really gave an explanation as to what it is. S...

nflfootballjournal.blogspot.com

 

[Swampy Saint]

When players reported that D-line training was non-existent last year, it's hard to say anything negative about D-line play or players.

There's no way our run-stopping should have been that bad last year.

 

[Stew 2.0]

When players reported that D-line training was non-existent last year, it's hard to say anything negative about D-line play or players.

There's no way our run-stopping should have been that bad last year.

Well Bo Davis will maximize what he has I trust that. He squeezed the max he could from LSU’s limited talent and depth last year. In Bo I trust.