Boyd could be a better fit in Brandon Staley’s defense as he heads into Year 2.
There are only 97 days remaining until the New Orleans Saints kick off their 2025 regular season opener against the Arizona Cardinals. Wearing No. 97 for the Saints this year is second-year defensive tackle Khristian Boyd, a Round 6 draft choice by the Saints in the 2024 draft. Here’s some background on Boyd, our Saints Player of the Day.
- Name (Age): Khristian Boyd (25)
- Hometown: Blue Springs, Mo.
- Position: Defensive tackle
- Height, weight: 6-foot-3, 320 pounds
- Relative Athletic Score: 4.63
- College: Northern Iowa Panthers
- Drafted: Round 6, 199th overall in 2024
- NFL experience: 1 season
- 2025 salary cap hit: $1,004,707
A natural nose tackle, Boyd may be a much better fit in new defensive coordinator Brandon Staley’s 3-4 system. The Saints traded for Davon Godchaux this offseason, but the team only has Boyd and Godchaux as prototype nose tackles on the roster. Boyd plays with tremendous strength and good leverage, allowing him to stand his ground against double-team blocking and clog inside running lanes.
Khristian Boyd isn’t a lock to make the roster out of training camp. However, his outstanding power and potential abilities as a run defender make him a possible Year 2 breakout player for a Saints squad desperate to upgrade their run defense.
