Chiefs NFL Draft prospect per day: Northern Iowa DT Khristian Boyd
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs could use some more depth on the interior line in the 2024 NFL Draft.
As part of FOX4’s 2024 NFL Draft prospect per day project, we take a look at Northern Iowa defensive tackle and Blue Springs alum Khristian Boyd and how he can fit in KC if the Chiefs select him.
Chiefs NFL Draft prospect per day: Mizzou OT Javon Foster
Info
Hometown: Blue Springs, Missouri
All-State player at Blue Springs High School
2023 AP FCS Third Team All-American/All-MVFC First Team, 2022 Second Team All-MVFC
43 tackles, 6.5 TFL, 3.5 sacks, 1 pass deflection in 2023
149 tackles, 22.5 TFL, 10.5 sacks, 5 pass deflections, 2 forced fumbles in 49 games over six seasons
Attended East-West Shrine Bowl
Had a top-30 visit with the Chiefs
Measurements (Pro Day)
Height: 6’2
Weight: 325
Arm length: 31 5/8 inches
Hand: 9 1/2 inches
28.5 vertical jump, 8’2″ broad jump, 8.10 3-cone, 4.91 20-yard shuttle, 38 bench press reps
Fit with Chiefs
Boyd has almost the perfect size and explosion for a defensive tackle but his length will have some teams questioning the FCS prospect.
The local product has great burst and hip explosion out of his stance. His ferocious hands and feet help him overcome his lack of great arm length when taking on blockers.
Boyd plays with good pad level but can get a little high at times. He always has a pass rush plan and uses a rip or a swim across the hands to get past opponents. He’ll need to improve his block recognition in the run game as he can get reached once blockers get a hold of him.
Chiefs NFL Draft prospect per day: Utah S Cole Bishop
He also has tremendous strength with an impressive bench press number at his pro day.
He dominated the competition at the Shrine Bowl and was a surprising snub from the NFL Combine.
Boyd played all over the interior on the defensive line at the nose and as a 3-technique. He would be asked to do the same for the Chiefs but would need to improve his anchoring against the run to be able to hold up against NFL offensive linemen. When he uses his hands consistently, Boyd is incredibly difficult to stop.
With some tweaks to his technique and some NFL coaching, Boyd could end up being one of the steals of this draft.
Some scouts see him going as high as the second round and as low as the fifth.
