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There’s a pattern emerging with 49ers defensive end Kerry Hyder. He’s very good when playing under defensive line coach Kris Kocurek.
Hyder this season has 7.5 sacks, just 0.5 off his career high, after he notched a pair in the 49ers’ Week 12 win over the Rams.
The strong 2020 campaign from the 29-year-old is certainly a surprise after he posted just 2.0 sacks the last two seasons, but a quick look at his career and how it aligns with Kocurek makes it a little less astounding.
2014
Hyder joins the NFL with the Jets as an undrafted rookie out of Texas Tech. He spends the season on the practice squad.
2015
Hyder signs with the Lions where Kocurek is the defensive line coach. He works his way onto the active roster after a strong preseason, but plays in only one game and spends most of the year with the practice squad.
2016
This is the breakout. Hyder plays in all 16 games for Detroit and posts 8.0 sacks, which is still his career-high for a season.
2017
This is where things go sideways for the defensive end. Instead of getting to build on his career-year, he suffers a torn Achilles in the opening week of the preseason and is sidelined for the year.
2018
Not only is Hyder trying to battle back from an Achilles tear, Kocurek also leaves Detroit for Miami. Hyder makes his way back for 7 games and has just 1.0 sacks.
2019
Hyder signs with Dallas as a free agent and works his way into a productive role as a rotational pass rusher. He plays in 16 games, but puts up just 1.0 sacks. Meanwhile, Kocurek joins the 49ers’ coaching staff.
2020
The 49ers sign Hyder late in free agency and he reunites with Kocurek. Through 11 games Hyder has a team-high 7.5 sacks after getting thrust into a starting role due to injuries on the defensive line.
In total, Hyder without Kocurek has 2.0 sacks in 23 games.
With Kocurek he’s posted 15.5 sacks in 28 games.
This may just be a coincidence. Hyder got a real opportunity in 2016 and parlayed it into an 8.0-sack season. Then he suffered a significant injury, and now he’s more than three years removed from it and getting another opportunity to be a difference maker.
On the other hand it could be something with Kocurek’s coaching style and Wide-9 scheme that play to Hyder’s strengths.
Either way it’s hard to imagine Hyder remains a free agent for long this offseason. Teams are always looking for pass rush help and Hyder has acquitted himself well in a starting role. If he wasn’t already in the 49ers’ plans for next year, he’s surely making his case for San Francisco to keep him with the DL coach who’s been there for his most successful seasons.