25 Days of Draftmas: UCF defensive lineman Trysten Hill

A very Merry Draftmas to you! It’s 25 Days of Draftmas on Arrowhead Pride, where we’ll be giving you a Kansas City Chiefs draft prospect every day in April leading up to the NFL Draft. You’ll get a daily prospect profile like this one right up until Draft Day.

Trysten Hill, interior defensive lineman

6’3” | 302 lbs | University of Central Florida

Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Projected draft range: round three

I would take him in the: third round

One-sentence bio: One of UCF’s best defensive players as a true freshman under Scott Frost; continued that success as a sophomore before butting heads with new head coach John Heupel and getting relegated to rotational duties.

One-sentence scouting report: Bull in a china shop with fantastic explosive traits and an elite-level motor; needs to work on his ability to identify what’s in front of him.

One play:

How he fits in KC: The Chiefs current interior defensive line depth chart is a little thin on pass rushers once you get beyond Chris Jones. Derrick Nnadi and Xavier Williams are a solid rotation on the interior — but both are more one-tech (nose tackle) types that excel as run defenders but not pass rushers. Justin Hamilton provides a bit more dynamic ability off the snap, but is still better-suited as a run defender; he isn’t the most agile player laterally. The need is for an interior rusher to spell Jones — who is playing ~70% of the snaps at the high end — and even to pair with him on pure passing downs is paramount.

Enter Trysten Hill.

Hill is a player who is not yet technically refined, and he doesn’t yet have the quickest processing. But what he can provide is a dynamic ability to play behind the line of scrimmage. His first step is explosive, and he works linearly and laterally equally well. His ability to reset his gap and cross the face of a blocker — while still getting penetration — is unique for a guy who looks like he might be a late Day 2 or early Day 3 pick.

Early in his NFL career, Hill would likely remain a rotational player or come in on pure pass rushing downs — and that’s okay. His elite athleticism and motor, which cannot be undersold, give him a path to early playing time even if he is still refining his game. As a 20-year-old he has lots of time to develop, and his ability to play a role as a penetrating player will only grow. The final cherry on top is his ability to loop, stunt and cover ground in space — making him a great fit in the ever-changing front we expect from Steve Spagnuolo and Brendan Daly.

Want to read more player profiles from Arrowhead Pride’s 25 Days of Draftmas? Click here for the complete list. And to stay informed on the players in which the Chiefs have shown interest, be sure to check out AP’s Chiefs draft prospect visit and workout tracker.

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