The New Orleans Saints selected defensive tackle Khristian Boyd from Northern Iowa with the 199th overall pick in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft on Saturday, April 27, 2024.
Boyd, a 6-foot-2 senior from Kansas City, MO, played in all 11 games for the Northern Iowa Panthers, recording 43 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss with 3.5 sacks. He was named third-team Associated Press FCS All-American as well as first-team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference in 2023. In 2022, he was also named to the second-team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference. Boyd has a career 149 total tackles for the Panthers, 22.5 tackles for loss, and 10.5 sacks.
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NFL.com overview on Khristian Boyd: Boyd is a well-built interior defender with short arms but good power. He was able to crank up his pressure totals as a pass rusher in 2023, but he might not see that same success against an upgrade in competition. He plays with adequate upper-body power, but he doesn't press and shed blocks quickly enough to be a big factor as a run stuffer despite his bend and anchor at the point of attack. Boyd has the size and power to wage battle against NFL centers at the nose, but he might not have enough positive impact to do anything more than fight for a rotational spot as a late-Day 3 pick.
