NFL Draft Prospects: New Orleans Saints May Target Small School Linemen Despite Recent Issues

The Saints have successfully unearthed small-school gems in the draft before and may target one of these previously little-known prospects.

The New Orleans Saints have never been hesitant about drafting an offensive or defensive lineman from a smaller college. Akiem Hicks (Regina), Terron Armstead (Arkansas Pine-Bluff), David Onyemata (Manitoba), Trey Hendrickson (Florida Atlantic), Marcus Davenport (UTSA), Trevor Penning (Northern Iowa), and Nick Saldiveri (Old Dominion) have all made their way to New Orleans through various rounds of the draft in the last dozen years.

Recent selections of Penning (first round), Saldiveri (fourth), and Davenport (first) haven't worked out. But otherwise, New Orleans has had pretty good luck from smaller colleges. Remember also that G Jahri Evans (Bloomsburg, 2006) and OT Jermon Bushrod (Towson, 2007) were two of the best linemen in franchise history.

Here's a look at two defensive linemen that some average fans had never heard of before now, but have been rising quickly on draft boards.

Jalyx Hunt, DE - Houston Christian; 6'4" & 252-Lbs.

Houston Christian defensive lineman Jalyx Hunt (13) during practice at the 2024 Senior Bowl

Credit:© Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports

An AAU Junior Olympic champion in the triathlon and long jump, Jalyx Hunt first attended Cornell as a safety before transferring to Houston Christian after two seasons. There, he was moved to the edge position in 2022.

Taking to the rare position change quickly, Hunt made an immediate and huge impact. He had seven sacks, 11.5 tackles for loss, and forced three fumbles for the Huskies in 2022 while getting named 2nd Team All-Southland Conference. In 2023, Hunt recorded 6.5 sacks, 10 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, and an interception on his way to Southland Defensive Player of the Year.

Hunt brings almost freakish athleticism to the position. He possesses a good natural bend around the edge and an explosive arc to get around the outside of blockers, then an impressive burst to the ball carrier. Also showing impressive hand placement, he's able to disengage from blocks efficiently.

Hunt's constant movement and agility, coupled with his length and imposing wingspan, can give blockers fits. He has the frame that allows for more bulk, as he already has good natural strength. His background as a safety is clear when he's asked to drop into coverage, giving him some versatility at the position.

Houston Christian defensive lineman Jalyx Hunt (13) pressures Notre Dame quarterback Sam Hartman (5) during the 2024 Senior Bowl

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Obvious lack of experience is Hunt's most glaring area of concern. There's a strong possibility that he'll be able to contribute little for at least a year as he develops and learns the position. While needing to add mass, Hunt's challenge will be to do so without sacrificing athleticism.

Hunt will probably be a non-factor against the run early in his career and likely needs the most improvement in that area. He gets manhandled at the point of attack, moved off the line of scrimmage easily, and simply lacks the reps to recognize blocking schemes. He'll also need to develop pass rush moves rather than relying on athletic ability to have any effectiveness at the NFL level.

Jalyx Hunt will likely be drafted strictly on his athletic ability and potential. However, glaring lack of experience probably puts him as a mid to late Day 3 prospect, at best. He could be a situational pass rusher immediately, but certainly needs at least a year to develop with good coaching.

Another smaller college defensive prospect has much more experience than Hunt. However, he's coming from a program that may give some Saints fans PTSD.

Khristian Boyd, DT - Northern Iowa; 6'2" & 328-Lbs.

Northern Iowa defensive lineman Khristian Boyd pressures Iowa State quarterback Brock Purdy during a 2021 game

Credit:© Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports

A former teammate of Trevor Penning at Northern Iowa, Khristian Boyd was a highly productive player for all of his five seasons with the Panthers. Over that span, he collected 13 sacks and recorded an impressive 60 QB pressures. He then held up well in postseason performances against a higher level of competition.

Boyd is pure power, capable of locking down a nose tackle spot but with enough of a pass rush for 3-technique. He has a relatively compact frame and plays with great leverage to maximize his impressive strength. Commanding double-teams on most snaps, he still had the power to consistently push into backfields.

Setting a formidable base, Boyd is nearly immovable at the point of attack and clogs inside rushing lanes. He has surprising explosion at the snap, but maintains good upper body mechanics and technique throughout a rep.

As a pass rusher, Boyd routinely collapses pockets and gets in the face of a quarterback. He has good recognition of run blocking and shows a decent burst to the ball in the backfield.

Northern Iowa defensive tackle Khristian Boyd stuffs a running play against the Iowa State Cyclones

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Boyd doesn't move well laterally and won't be a factor in pursuit. As a result, he was often pushed past a misdirection play or nullified by moving pass pockets. He lacks counter moves as a pass rusher, and can be guilty of hand-fighting with blockers too long during a play.

Khristian Boyd is a probable early-Day 3 pick that could slip into earlier rounds because of his scheme versatility. More than just a run stuffer, Boyd adds pass rush value and has exciting upside of an every down interior defender.

Boyd is a far more advanced prospect than Hunt. Either player checks off a need for a New Orleans defensive line that underperformed last season. With nine picks in Day 3 of the draft and a successful past of selecting small school gems, don't be surprised if either player ends up in a Saints uniform.