Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama
Size:
Height: 5’11.5”
Weight: 199 pounds
Arm Length: 32”
Hand Size: 8 1/2"
Accomplishments:
AP First Team All-American (2023, 2022) • First Team All-SEC (2022) • First Team All-SEC Punt Returner (2022)
“Kool-Aid McKinstry has quickness, fluid hips, and confidence, which projects him to be a high-level press-man corner.”
Strengths:
Lateral agility
Smooth transitions/fluid hips
Ability to play press-man consistently
Competitive at the catch point
Willing tackler in the run game
Concerns:
Allows receivers to stack him vertically
Covering physical receivers in and out of breaks
Tracking the deep ball
Film Analysis:
Kool-Aid McKinstry is a smooth press-man corner who wins with his foot quickness at the line of scrimmage. McKinstry understands that press-man reps are won by using his foot quickness and he shows the ability to use that and his hip fluidity to mirror receivers in their release without having to get hands on them. From this press technique, McKinstry has shown to have two approaches: 1) being able to stay on top of the receiver while staying in a good position to break down on any cut/break or 2) he can play in the trail technique. In the trail technique, McKinstry shows good patience and is looking to jump underneath on any in-breaker or underneath route. McKinstry has fluid hips and maintains great body control, which keeps him in position to contest the ball and break up passes. McKinstry is a corner who is competitive at the catch point and will fight for the pass breakup or INT.
Even though McKinstry has high-level athletic ability, there is also an element of physicality to his game. McKinstry shows well in run support and is a willing and effective tackler on the boundary. He also shows to be an effective blitzer who has a fearless attacking attitude blitzing and being disruptive.
Although many elements of McKinstry's skill set make him a high-level corner, there are elements of his game that he needs to improve. When McKinstry jumps into his trail technique, he appears to give too much separation and there are opportunities for receivers to beat him vertically—and he is chasing instead of being in position to locate the ball. On the college level, this is not as much of an issue. But in the NFL, where quarterbacks are more consistent on a week-in and week-out basis, this could lead to big completions. McKinstry appears to have the speed, he just needs to activate it sooner and work to stay closer in phase with the receiver on vertical routes.
Overall, McKinstry has plus-level athletic attributes that allow him to be a great press-man corner on the outside, while also possessing the athletic tools to be a candidate to move to the nickel corner position and play at a high level.
Prospect Projection: Day 1 — Pro Bowl Caliber
Written By: Keith Sanchez
Exposures: Texas (2023), Ole Miss (2023), Texas A&M (2023), LSU (2023), LSU (2022), Tennessee (2022), Texas (2022), Texas A&M (2022) Ole Miss (2022)
