Seahawks 90-Man Roster Primer: Kerry Hyder

Continuing to overhaul their defensive line in free agency, the Seahawks stole Hyder away from an NFC West rival after putting up career numbers in 2020. Will he be able to replicate his production in Seattle? Or will last season prove to be an aberration?

Corbin K. Smith | Jul 10, 2021

With the calendar flipping to July and offseason programs recently wrapping up, NFL training camps will begin around the league in less than a month. To celebrate the new incoming season, we will be breaking down the Seahawks' 90-man roster over the next several weeks, exploring best and worst case scenarios and what to expect from each player entering the 2021 campaign.

Kerry Hyder, Defensive End

Height/Weight: 6-foot-2, 270 pounds

2020 Stats: 49 tackles, 8.5 sacks, and 18 quarterback hits in 16 games

Since breaking into the NFL as an undrafted rookie out of Texas Tech in 2014, Hyder's career has been full of peaks and valleys. He spent his entire rookie season on the Jets practice squad and didn't play in a single game, eventually landing with the Lions on a future/reserve deal. He finally made his NFL debut in the season finale in 2015 and the following season, he emerged as an unexpected pass rushing threat for Detroit, producing 8.0 sacks and 19 quarterback hits. An Achilles injury cost him all of the 2017 season, however, and he was relatively ineffective over the next two seasons with the Lions and Cowboys, registering just 2.0 combined sacks in 23 games. Then in 2020, after signing a one-year deal with the 49ers, the veteran journeyman filled in admirably for injured starters Nick Bosa and Solomon Thomas, setting new career-highs with 49 tackles and 8.5 sacks while starting 14 games. Signed to a multi-year deal in March, the Seahawks are hopeful the 30-year old will be able to build off his career year and add more bite to their pass rush at the base defensive end spot.

Best Case Scenario: Demonstrating his strong 2020 campaign wasn't a fluke, Hyder seizes the starting base end spot in training camp and hits double-digit sacks for the first time in his career, playing a starring role on one of the NFL's most improved pass rushes while further solidifying the team's run defense.

Worst Case Scenario: Though he avoids a serious injury like the one that cost him the entire 2017 season, Hyder doesn't come close to matching his pass rushing production in San Francisco, finishing with just a pair of sacks while rotating into the lineup as a reserve behind L.J. Collier.

What to Expect in 2021: The Seahawks have always valued versatility, particularly on the defensive line, and Hyder should be able to provide quality snaps at defensive end and 3-tech defensive tackle. Comments from defensive line coach Clint Hurtt suggest he will be a starter come Week 1, but Collier's presence doesn't make that a guarantee heading into camp and he will have to earn the job in August. The key will be staying healthy, as injuries have been problematic for him in the past. Based on his career trajectory, he may be hard-pressed to equal or surpass his pass rushing numbers from a year ago, but if he plays stout run defense and generates consistent pressure on quarterbacks, he should prove himself well worth the investment from the franchise and add more bite to the defensive line.

Previous Seahawks 90-Man Roster Primers

Published Jul 10, 2021

CORBIN K. SMITH

Graduating from Manchester College in 2012, Smith began his professional career as a high school Economics teacher in Indianapolis and launched his own NFL website covering the Seahawks as a hobby. After teaching and coaching high school football for five years, he transitioned to a full-time sports reporter in 2017, writing for USA Today's Seahawks Wire while continuing to produce the Legion of 12 podcast. He joined the Arena Group in August 2018 and also currently hosts the daily Locked On Seahawks podcast with Rob Rang and Nick Lee. Away from his coverage of the Seahawks and the NFL, Smith dabbles in standup comedy, is a heavy metal enthusiast and previously performed as lead vocalist for a metal band, and enjoys distance running and weight lifting. A habitual commuter, he resides with his wife Natalia in Colorado and spends extensive time reporting from his second residence in the Pacific Northwest.