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Senior Defensive Tackle Kerry Hyder JR is attempting to get his named called on draft day in two weeks. He was fortunate enough to be able to attend the annual NFL combine and showcase his abilities. Now, we'll take a look at what Hyder can bring to the NFL and his chances to get drafted and make a NFL roster.
| DEFENSIVE LINE | |
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| KERRY HYDER JR | DEFENSIVE TACKLE / DEFENSIVE END |
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HT/WT: 6-3/290 FORTY: 4.97 VERTICAL: 29.5" BROAD JUMP: 9'-1" SHORT SHUTTLE: 4.33 THREE CONE DRILL: 7.23 BENCH PRESS: 20 reps VIDEO: NFL COMBINE | AGAINST OU POSITIONAL RANKING: 21st by Position, 229th overall BEST POSSIBLE SCENARIO: Drafted in late rounds, as early as 5th WORST POSSIBLE SCENARIO: Preferred Rookie Free Agent |
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Unfortunately there are no Kerry Hyder Jr Highlights on the internet, so all we have is his combine performance and play against Oklahoma. One aspect of his game that will help him at the next level is his ability to move quickly for a guy his size. No his 40 time isn't stellar, but Hyder is able to move direction quickly and find his way around blocks. Speed is what a lot of NFL scouts are looking in defensive line talent today (unless you freakishly huge like Terrence Cody), so Hyder's speed could help him in that aspect. His accomplishments could help him along the way to, as Hyder has been selected 2nd team All Big XII the past two seasons, even after going through defensive changes and moving from DT to DE along the way. In fact, in the pre-season he was voted 1st team All Big XII. Finally, Hyder is also labelled as a leader among his peers, similar to that of Ward and Smith. Being capable of leading a group of guys is always a plus when teams start to analysis you.
However, there are some downsides to Hyder's game that could affect his draft status. First is the fact that Hyder was only able to put up 20 reps on the bench press. Kerry Hyder is not as strong as some the big names that will go early in the draft. While a lot of scouts are starting to look more at speed, you can't have a Defensive Tackle that can be pushed around. I'm not saying that Hyder is weak and will be bullied in the NFL, but he could have trouble with some linemen. Along with his speed, that is why I think Hyder will only be drafted by a team that runs a 4-3 instead of a 3-4 defense. The fact that the Tech defense did bad last year could also contribute to Hyder's draft status. Draft prospects that are supposed to go low are sometimes elevated by being in a good defense, but Texas Tech's defense wasn't good enough last year to help push Hyder.
With all that being said, I do believe that Hyder will be drafted somewhere in this draft, my guess would be the 6th round. He's been a dominating force for the Texas Tech defense and Big XII for the past few years and could make an impact on a roster. Also, unlike the receiver option, not as many defensive tackles are coming out, or else Ward would have a better chance to be drafted. Here is what NFL.com is saying about Kerry Hyder Jr:
BOTTOM LINE
Undersized, thickly built, active defensive lineman with tweener traits. Lacks ideal explosiveness and flexibility, but his hand use, competitiveness and motor could enable him to fight for a spot as a rotational three- or five-technique.
Here is what Kerry Hyder said to DallasCowboys.com during his workout in Dallas.
"I always consider myself a defensive lineman. We played a lot of schemes at Tech, and I was able to play in every defense and be productive," Hyder said. "So I feel like I can play any scheme no matter what it is. I consider myself a defensive lineman. Not a 3-technique, not a 4-technique, I play D-Line. Put me somewhere and I can play it."
Now let's take a look at who could draft Kerry Hyder Jr in the upcoming NFL Draft:
- Dallas Cowboys - The Cowboys were the first team to workout Kerry Hyder in their facilities. The Cowboys lost a lot of defensive linemen this past season and need a lot of bodies to fill the spots. The Cowboys may go after a Defensive linemen or two early on, then try to add another one later on in the draft for depth purposes. Monte's Tampa 2 uses 4 defensive linemen, which needs a lot of defensive linemen. Plus, Jerry Jones loves to draft local prospects in the late rounds of the draft.
- Oakland Raiders - The Raiders need some defensive linemen after losing Seymour and Kelly this past season and not a lot of bodies on the line. While they were likely go after someone else early (some raw prospect with speed like they do every year), Oakland may go after some linemen in the later rounds. Hyder would be a good pick-up for the Raider's system. Plus Kerry Hyder doesn't have to change his team name.
- Minnesota Vikings - I'm personally a fan of Mike Zimmer, and I think that he will target D-linemen in the later rounds, and could pick up Hyder with his versatility. Zimmer has to create a whole new defense for the struggling Vikings, so I expect him to draft a lot of players, including 4-3 D-linemen.
| Houston Texans | Jadeveon Clowney | I still see the Texans drafting Clowney to boost their defensive line along with Watt. Sometimes it's easier to hide other defensive problems with a great Defensive Line. Plus, I think O'Brien is eyeing a QB in the later 1st round or early 2nd. |
| St. Louis Rams | Greg Robinson | Rams need help protecting Bradford and getting their offense to work. With a good offense line, we may finally see the Rams offense become a threat in this league. However, look for the Rams to try and trade down, as there will be a mad scramble for talent and they could be Robinson later on in the draft. |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | Johnny Manziel | Most experts are starting to have Mack here, but QBs always go higher than expected and Jacksonville needs a QB. Their best QB in franchise history is Brain Leftwich. No can do. It'll be between in-state QB Bortles and Manziel, but Johnny get's the call with his explosiveness, marketing and relationship with Joeckel. |
| Cleveland Browns | Blake Bortles | I think this is another situation where the Browns have to draft a QB here. A lot of teams need a QB and they will have to get one quick. Bridgewater seems to be slipping, so Bortles gets the call here. He'll be able to extend plays to buy Josh Gordon and other receivers time. |
| Oakland Raiders | Sammy Watkins | Just the Raiders being the Raiders. They like Watkins' speed and his ability to get open, providing the good target for Schaub to throw too. While there may be better options for Oakland here, I think they'll go with the speedster. |
| Atlanta Falcons | Khalil Mack | You could also argue that the Falcons need an O-linemen, but they also need a great defender, and Mack to good to pass up here. Mack will be able to play either OLB or DE for the Falcons. I expect him to make a huge impact for Atlanta. |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Mike Evans | The Mike Glennon experiment isn't over after one season, and Lovie will help provide weapons by drafting Mike Evans at this spot. Not only will Glennon have another target other than Vincent Jackson to throw to, it will also help regenerate the running game. |
| Minnesota Vikings | Teddy Bridgewater | Unless the Vikes want to see Freeman or Cassel as their starter, they better draft a QB. Bridgewater is the best QB on the board at this point. The receiver talent in Minnesota isn't bad, plus you have the best RB in the game behind you. Plus, Teddy has experience in cold weather |
| Buffalo Bills | Jake Matthews | Bills were able to address their Linebacker situation in the offseason, so the next logical pick is to protect EJ Manuel, which is why the Bills will draft Jake Matthews. He protected another Dual Threat QB in College Station, and should do well doing so in the NFL also. |
| Detroit Lions | Darqueze Dennard | Lions need secondary help bad, and Dennard should help them there. While the Lions also want another offensive weapon, there just isn't anyone here worth taking. There have been talks about Ebron, but I just don't see them picking him so early. |
| Tennessee Titans | Anthony Barr | Anthony Barr gets taken off the board later than he should and the Titans are very fortunate. Barr is another OLB that has great athletic ability and could also play Defensive End in the league at 6'5" |
| New York Giants | Taylor Lewan | Eli got knocked down and hit many times last season, and you don't want to see that happen to your Franchise QB. While Lewan is raw, he should be able to contribute and help protect Eli. Maybe then he'll stop throwing so many interceptions (probably not, but you never know). |
| St. Louis Rams | Ha Ha Clinton-Dix | Welp, the Rams on the board again thanks to the Redskins. This time, they'll pick someone on the defensive side of the ball. Rams take Ha-Ha here in an effort for teams to stop joking about their secondary, Irony at it's finest. |
| Chicago Bears | Aaron Donald | Bear need some help on the defensive line after losing Melton to the Cowboys. Bears pick Donald here to help in the middle. They need disrupt the Packer's Aaron Rodgers, the Vike's Adrian Peterson and the Lion's....well they need help stopping Rodgers and Peterson. |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | Justin Gilbert | Steelers have a lot of old guys in that defense, especially in the secondary. Drafting Justin Gilbert will give them a ball hawk (which the Steelers like) and a promising player in the future. |
| Dallas Cowboys | Timmy Jernigan | The Cowboys have a lot of problems in the secondary, but they also need D-line help, as they lost Ware and don't really have a good player on the line besides Jernigan. Timmy should help the Cowboys barley miss the play-offs by one game again. |
| Baltimore Ravens | Zack Martin | Ravens need some offensive line help, as the offense was ineffective a lot last season, and the Ravens lost some offensive linemen. Martin should help protect Flacco and Rice in the backfield. |
| New York Jets | Jace Amaro | Surprisingly Amaro goes before Ebron here. I'm convinced now that the Jets GM worships Amaro and would do anything to draft him. Plus the Mike Smith connection with the Jet helps. I'm going to hate having to hate him next season. |
| Miami Dolphins | Eric Ebron | Dolphins could take an offensive lineman here, but Ebron has already slipped far enough and the Dolphins get a steal here. He should help Tannehill on offense and even provide some blocking for them. |
| Arizona Cardinals | Ryan Shazier | Cardinals need some help at OLB, and Shazier from THE Ohio State should help them here. They could also use a QB, but I think they want to make Fitzgerald suffer another season with a bad QB. |
| Green Bay Packers | Calvin Pryor | The safety spot for the Packers last year was just turrible (as Charles Barkley would say). Pryor should be able to come in the help right away for the Pack. |
| Philadelphia Eagles | Brandin Cooks | The Eagles will want another speedy WR after they lost a huge target in Jackson, and Maclin keeps on having injury issues to deal with. Plus Cooks isn't from Alabama or Arky, so he won't complain about the pace of the Eagles offense. |
| Kansas City Chiefs | Odell Beckham Jr | The Cheifs would like another target here is help Alex Smith and the Cheifs offense. They add another speedy guy here in Beckham to accommodate for the tall Dwayne Bowe. |
| Cincinnati Bengals | Jason Verrett | Bengals need a young corner with Hall just turning 30, and Newman and Pac-man, well, being Newman and Pac-man. Verrett should have a lot of practice against Green before facing the likes of Gordon, Torey Smith and whoever the Bumble Bees decide to throw out there. |
| San Diego Chargers | Louis Nix | Chargers need a defensive tackle here to stop Charles, Moreno behind their steller O-line, and maybe Oakland, depends if McFadden feels like suiting up. Nix should help stop those running games. |
| Cleveland Browns | Kyle Fuller | Cleveland could use a CB opposite of Joe Haden, and Fuller should be able to provide that. The brown's defense is already decently good, and an addition of Fuller here should help Cleveland. |
| New Orleans Saints | CJ Mosley | Saints could use an Inside Linebacker here, and Mosley would be perfect for Rob Ryan's defense. He provides help with the rush and could drop back into coverage. Plus Mosley is a leader, which is the type of player the Saints could use on defense. |
| Carolina Panthers | Marquise Lee | Panthers don't have a lot of good options at receiver, and with the loss of Steve Smith and Brandon Lafell, they need a target for Cam Newton. Lee could provide a target for Newton and could be used in various ways. |
| New England Patriots | Dee Ford | Patriots need another target for Brady, but I don't think Belichick finds anyone he likes here. He likely trade his pick down like he always does, but if he doesn't for some reason, Ford is the pick here. He could be that final piece on the D-line to make them elite |
| San Francisco 49ers | Kony Early | The 9ers are probably tired of Aldon Smith's shenanigans now, so they could be looking a draft another Missouri defensive end like Kony Early. Maybe drafting a former teammate could help Smith. Probably not, but you never know |
| Denver Broncos | Xavier Su'a Filo | Broncoes O-line did not play very well in the Super Bowl, as the top ranked offense only put up 8 points when the game was already over. Filo should help on the side opposite of our Red Raiders. |
| Seattle Seahawks | Cyrus Kouandjio | Seahawks don't have a lot of needs, but they could protect Russel Wilson more. Cyrus is a raw big tackle from Alabama that Seahawks could develop while protecting Russel Wilson. |
- April 3rd - Will Smith
- April 10th - Terrace Bullitt
- April 17th - Eric Ward
- April 24th - Kerry Hyder Jr
- May 1st - Jace Amaro
- May 8th - Draft Day Updates and Rumors