The New Orleans Saints selected Alabama cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry with the No. 41 pick in Friday’s second round of the NFL Draft.
McKinstry was a mainstay of the Crimson Tide secondary during Nick Saban’s final three seasons at the helm, delivering on his five-star prospect status and arriving in the NFL with an extensive record of lockdown play on the outside.
Ranked as the No. 1 cornerback in his high school class by the 247Sports Composite, McKinstry took hold of a starting role as a freshman during the 2021 season on a team that reached the national championship game. As a sophomore, he led the Crimson Tide with 15 pass breakups (landing him in the top 10 of the FBS leaderboard) while also taking over punt return duties.
By last fall, his reputation preceded him, and he helped anchor a unit that dragged Bama back to the College Football Playoff despite an uncharacteristically inconsistent offense.
During his medical evaluation at the combine in Indianapolis, McKinstry was found to have a Jones fracture in his right foot. In mid-March, he ran an unofficial 4.47 40-yard dash at Alabama’s pro day, had surgery on the foot later that week and received positive reports from medical rechecks in early April.
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‘The Beast’ breakdown
McKinstry ranked No. 30 in Dane Brugler’s Top 300 big board. Here’s what Brugler had to say about him in his annual NFL Draft guide:
“McKinstry doesn’t play with high-level speed or aggression, but he is a long, smooth athlete with the football IQ that should translate quickly to an NFL field. His game reminds me of James Bradberry’s, and he will compete for starting reps as a rookie.”
Coaching intel
What an anonymous coach had to say about McKinstry in Bruce Feldman’s mock draft:
“He had some struggles early in (2023) but is a good player. He’s a pretty fluid DB, but I questioned his speed. He’s not that twitchy.”
Why he’s a second-round pick
McKinstry earned a level of respect from opposing passing games that’s not often seen in college football. He was targeted just 39 times in 14 games last season, funneling most of the work toward Terrion Arnold’s side of the field — and Arnold responded by stuffing stat sheets all year. Meanwhile, to find McKinstry’s most recent interception, you have to go back to November 2022.
I’ll take that! @GaQMcK1
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🔗 https://t.co/Cz1YkPaAbw pic.twitter.com/2zjgGDyoqA— Alabama Football (@AlabamaFTBL) November 19, 2022
Typically, defensive backs who earn this much trust and log this much time under Saban don’t have trouble adjusting to the speed of the pro game.
Come back for more analysis of McKinstry later.
(Photo: Gary Cosby Jr. / USA Today)
