KC native, Boyd is poised to hear his name called in the NFL Draft
Tyler Brown
A Kansas City kid and small school defensive tackle is about to have a lifelong dream realized this weekend. The former University of Northern Iowa and Blue Springs High School’s Khristian Boyd will play host at his parent's house in the Kansas City suburb as he waits for the phone with a National Football League organization on the other line.
It is something that he has strived for as early as his junior high days at Sunny Vale Middle School before going on to be all-state and a two-time state runner-up as a Wildcat, then going on to be a two-time all-conference and all-American player as a Panther. While he is surely looking forward to it, it is not just about playing in front of 70,000 fans in a roaring stadium or even coming up with a timely third-down tackle for a loss late in the game. Boyd simply wants to prove he belongs.
“Just being a part of an NFL franchise is what motivates me. That’s something I have always dreamed about,” Boyd said. “I know it’s near. That is what I am most excited about.”
Standing at six-foot-four, 317 pounds, there is no doubt that Boyd has the size of an NFL interior defensive lineman. Boyd finished the Panthers' 2023 season with 43 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 6.5 tackles for a loss, nine quarterback hits, 28 QB hurries and an 89 overall grade on PFF.
Being that he did come from an FCS school, it took a little bit more exposure to put Boyd on the map. First, he was invited to the All-Star Hula Bowl, which is really designed to showcase under-the-radar talent. Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco played in the same Hawaiin showcase back in 2022. After a strong showing there, Boyd earned an invitation to the renowned East-West Shrine Bowl where he went on to be Defensive Player of the Week.
“It was a great experience … There’s a lot more scouts and a lot better competition there (at the East-West Shrine Bowl). I pretty much dominated all week,” Boyd said. “I showed I can play against top competition and that is really how my name got out there.”
Even after all of that, he was still not extended an invite to the NFL Draft Combine, which came as a surprise to some. Boyd said he was for sure frustrated by the Combine’s decline, but he used that as motivation and decided to not worry about what he cannot control. He has spent this offseason working out up in Minneapolis, Minnesota in the same training facility as many other future draftees, such as Notre Dame’s projected top-10 pick, left tackle Joe Alt.
After being spurned away from the Combine, he set his sites on completing as many 30 visits as possible. 30 visits are 30 prospects that NFL franchises are allotted to have in their building to get to know them throughout the draft process. There is no working out or training going on but is typically a way to figure out what the players are like in the film room, their character and examining medical situations.
Boyd clearly has the eyes and the attention of many teams across the league as he has been on 10 official visits. His 30 visits have included the Detroit Lions, New Orleans Saints, Green Bay Packers, Seattle Seahawks, Arizona Cardinals, Buffalo Bills, Minnesota Vikings, Miami Dolphins, Baltimore Ravens and the hometown Kansas City Chiefs.
On his visit with the Chiefs, he, unfortunately, did not get to meet head coach Andy Reid because he was in Orlando at the annual owners meeting. He did however get to talk ball with defensive line coach Joe Cullen and four-time Super Bowl Champion defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.
He lights up a little bit thinking back on that meeting, stating that they like what he can bring to the table and that there is a chance Brett Veach could be the one on the other line. He self-describes himself as a “mid-round dude,” which is in line with many of the consensus boards around mainstream NFL media. If the Chiefs call his name on day two or three of the draft, he said the Chiefs brass like what he can bring to the table as a one-tech to start before he develops into a three-down defensive tackle alongside superstar Chris Jones. Boyd, who has a KC tattoo on his neck said it would be turning a vision into a reality to become a defensive tackle for his home city.
“It would be a dream come true (to play for the Chiefs). Ever since I started playing football, people have asked me if I want to play for the Chiefs and I’ve always loved the Chiefs growing up. To be able to get drafted by them and play for them when they just went back-to-back – maybe they can three-peat and I’m a part of that. That would just be a dream come true.”
No matter where Boyd ends up, he would hardly be the start of the NFL pipeline in Cedar Falls at the Northern Iowa program. He credits the culture of the program for all of the success that has come from the FCS program which has become a breeding ground for the league. The Panthers have put out Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner, former running back David Johnson and current Saints offensive tackle Trevor Penning. Former Chiefs wide receiver Daurice Fountain and defensive tackle Xavier Williams, who is also a Kansas City native, have come from the program as well.
“It’s the weight room, first off,” Boyd said. “All the dudes that are going to the league have an incredible work ethic. They put in their time in the weight room and they got a get-out-the-mud mentality. UNI talks about grit and hard work. Once you understand what you need to do to get to that next level, you always have a chance and those are the people that make it out of there.”
Nor is Boyd the trailblazer from the Blue Springs program. Former Philadelphia Eagles and Chicago Bears defensive back Deiondre’ Hall came out of Blue Springs and Northern Iowa. Former running back Ladell Betts, wide receiver Brandon Lloyd, former Chiefs tackle Donald Stephenson, linebacker Elijah Lee and current Houston Texans defensive tackle Khalil Davis, along with his twin, Carlos came out of the Wildcats program as well. The point is that Boyd comes from a deep-rooted lineage and in addition to his production, he is in the driver's seat to a successful career with all of the traits he possesses.
Boyd is 24 after red-shirting his freshman season and gaining another year due to the COVID-19 eligibility rules, but his size and measurables should be enough to get scouts to get past him being an older prospect. No measurable sticks out more than his monstrous 38 bench press reps at Northern Iowa’s pro day.
It is that strength and his lauded explosive first step out of his stance that has teams booking official visits with him. While it may take a year or two to develop as a pass rusher at the NFL level after playing FCS ball, he ultimately has the tools to develop into being that pass rusher from the inside. He is consistently the first one moving at the line of scrimmage, has a variety of pass-rush moves already and has experience as a one, zero and three-tech along the interior. Boyd knows he brings a lot to the table to an NFL team while understanding what he needs to get better at.
“I’m bringing someone that is going to be a force in the middle,” Boyd said. “Whether it is run or pass, I’m going to impact the play. I got a great get-off. I play low, I play physical and I play hard … Something that they (scouts) have sent me to work on is shedding, increasing my pass rush repertoire and really work on my counter moves when my initial move doesn’t work … I’m going to work my ass off and they’re going to have someone that is going to have good character around the building.”
Even if it does take time to develop into a three-down lineman, he has the traits to be a plug-and-play nose tackle, possibly even supplanting Derrick Nnadi and Mike Pennel in year one if he were to be drafted by the Chiefs. His strength plays well in that regard and he has the motor to make backside tackles as well. It is no secret that defensive tackle is by far the biggest position of need on defense in Kansas City.
Boyd attended UNI because it felt like home. This weekend we find out where he will dedicate the next phase of his career. Kansas City quite literally is home, but Boyd is poised to leave his mark on any program that takes the gamble on him.
