Saints pick Alabama CB Kool-Aid McKinstry in 2nd round of 2024 NFL draft. What you need to know
Correction/clarification: Due to an editing error, an earlier version of this story reported incorrectly the team that drafted Kool-Aid McKinstry. He was drafted by the Saints.
The New Orleans Saints selected Alabama CB Kool-Aid McKinstry with the 41st pick in the 2024 NFL draft.McKinstry was a three-year regular in the Alabama secondary and entered the draft after his junior season.Here's everything you need to know about McKinstry.
Kool-Aid McKinstry scouting report
McKinstry was a rock-solid man-to-man corner throughout his career and has the size and length to compete with big receivers. He's well-suited to play "on the island" as an outside cornerback and is a strong special teams player as well. His long speed is good but his quickness and ability to break on short passes is outstanding. A five-star recruit out of high school, he played his best season as a sophomore in 2022 when he broke up an impressive 15 passes. As a run defender, he uses good leverage to maintain containment against perimeter runs, and he's instinctive as a blitzer as well. McKinstry also has dynamic skills as a punt returner, but at times had ball security issues in that role, and lost the punt return job for that reason during his junior season.
Kool-Aid McKinstry height, weight
McKinstry, who is from Birmingham, Alabama, and went to Pinson Valley high school, is 5 feet,11 1/2 inches tall and weighs 199 pounds.
Kool-Aid McKinstry college stats
During the 2023 season, McKinstry has 32 tackles, 2 TFLs, 0 INT and 7 PBUs. He totaled 2 INTs and 23 PBUs during his college career.
Kool-Aid McKinstry highlights
McKinstry was a first-team All-American per USA TODAY, the Associated Press, Pro Football Focus and others. He also was a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, given to the nation's top defensive back. His two career interceptions came against non-conference competition against Mercer and Austin-Peay.
Watch: McKinstry's college highlights
McKinstry routinely broke up passes in UA's bigger games, however, with one each last season against Texas, Ole Miss, Tennessee, and in the SEC title game against Georgia. He notched a sack in Alabama's Iron Bowl win over Auburn his freshman year in 2021, and another in Alabama's road win at Texas the following season. As a sophomore, he recorded three breakups in a Sugar Bowl win over Kansas State, one at Texas and another at LSU. McKinstry broke several big punt returns as a sophomore as well, including a stretch of three games in which he returned at least one punt for 40-plus yards.
Kool-Aid McKinstry NFL combine, pro day measurables
After a Jones fracture was discovered in McKinstry's foot, he was unable to perform in physical testing at the NFL Scouting Combine, but did attend the event to interview with teams. However, a few weeks later, he turned in a 4.47 40-yard dash at Alabama's Pro Day event to help lock down his draft standing. He also participated in the vertical jump (34-foot-5) and broad jump events (10-foot-1) at Pro Day.
Kool-Aid McKinstry pro comparison
San Francisco 49ers CB Charvarius Ward.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Saints pick Alabama's Kool-Aid McKinstry in 2024 NFL draft. What to know