Chicago Bears Draft Scout: Kris Boyd

The Chicago Bears met with Texas cornerback Kris Boyd at the Senior Bowl. What is the scouting report on the senior cornerback?

The Chicago Bears do not pick until the third round but have been meeting and greeting with some mid round prospects over the past two bowl weeks, including cornerback Kris Boyd.

What does the Texas corner bring to the table, and where would the Chicago Bears interested?

Strengths:

Kris Boyd plays with an edge. He is strong in breaking to the football and cutting routes at their stem. He is physical and is not afraid to press and redirect the receiver early into the route.

That intensity shows in the run game as well. Boyd sticks his nose into traffic often and is not afraid to use physicality in shedding blocks to set the edge .

Weakness:

Boyd does not have great long speed. Pressing can be a game of Russian Roulette because if he is beat off of the line of scrimmage, he is unlikely to recover. His worst tape was losing athletic battles against NFL quality receivers. Boyd also struggled to play the ball in the air and was often late to get his head around.

Kris Boyd may be a bit undersized, but has not taken any snaps in the slot.

NFL Comparison: J.C. Jackson

J.C. Jackson went undrafted out of Maryland because he was a bit undersized and did not have great deep speed. However he was tenacious and physical and found a spot with the New England Patriots where he contributed to a Super Bowl.

Kris Boyd is going to fall in the draft, and understandably so. However, there is a similar style to Jacksons play that makes you think he can find a way to stick around in the NFL. He is not afraid to press, he is physical in his route recognition and he plays the run with pride. Boyd can find value on a team that plays a lot of zone and could turn his tenacity into special teams to extend his career.

Fit for the Chicago Bears

Boyd is a player you want on your team. However, that is not in the first two rounds, and likely not in the third either. However, the meat of the Bears picks come in the middle rounds.

Boyd is not going to test well at the combine. If he is around in the fourth round or later the Chicago Bears could take a swing on the depth cornerback. He could compete for reps in the slot if Bryce Callahan is let go or give the Bears the depth to let Marcus Cooper walk. Still, the start to his career is fighting for special teams snaps as he transitions into the NFL.

Home/Chicago Bears Draft