Kool-Aid McKinstry R2 Pick
 

KOOL-AID MCKINSTRY
ALABAMA
CB

HEIGHT
5’ 11 1/2’’

WEIGHT
199 lbs

ARM
32’’

HAND
8 1/2’’


Player Bio
High school: Five-star recruit, top-25 overall prospect nationally.
2021: Freshman All-SEC. Played in all 15 games with six starts (25 tackles, sack, INT, PBU).

2022: Third-team Associated Press All-American. First-team All-SEC CB, Second-team RS. Led the team with 15 PBUs. Started all 13 games (35 tackles, 2 TFL, INT).

2023: First-team Associated Press All-American. First-team All-SEC CB. Started all 14 games (32 tackles, 2 TFL, 7 PBUs).

First name is Ga'Quincy. Grandmother gave him the nickname "Kool-Aid" because his smile reminded her of the Kool-Aid Man.



Draft Projection
Round 1

NFL Comparison
A.J. Terrell

Overview
Three-year starter and former five-star prospect with a quirky name and consistent game. McKinstry is patient and well-groomed in matching the outside release and riding the inside release from press. He’s confident to handle business on an island and is able to stay in phase as the route travels vertically. He’s not overly fast but does play with plus acceleration to close out crossing routes or make aggressive plays on the catch point. As with most college corners, McKinstry will need to transition some of his open-field hand usage into quality footwork to avoid downfield penalties. He’s more aggressive in coverage than he is as a tackler and could find himself forced to prove his toughness in that area. McKinstry is more of a pure cover man than a playmaker, but his poise, intelligence and athleticism should lead him toward becoming a good outside corner with scheme versatility.


Strengths
Smart football player with good communication on the back end.
Slides and rides the release to stall takeoff and timing of the route.
Balance and athleticism to remain in phase with receivers.
Does a nice job of reading the receiver's eyes to gain intel.
Plays with poise and patience when tracking deep-throw targets.
Possesses rapid acceleration to close quickly on throws.
Well-timed punches, claws and chops knock away catch attempts.
Highly capable punt returner.


Weaknesses
Better short-area burst than full-field speed.
Tugs receiver at break point instead of relying on his feet.
Bad habit of sleeping on the play when he’s not directly targeted.
Content to stay in the backdrop as a run defender.
Inconsistent reaction time to route combinations from zone.


Sources Tell Us

“He’s a serious guy on the field and he knows ball. You rarely see him bust because he’s always prepared and he’s really natural in coverage.” - NFC regional scout

Re: Kool-Aid McKinstry R2 Pick
 

What did it cost us to move up?

Re: Kool-Aid McKinstry R2 Pick
 

Mike Triplett
@MikeTriplett
·
1m
Saints trade a fifth-rounder (168) and sixth-rounder (190) to move up four spots from No. 45 to 41 to select Alabama CB Kool-Aid McKinstry.

Re: Kool-Aid McKinstry R2 Pick
 

Very talented corner.

Re: Kool-Aid McKinstry R2 Pick
 

Solid addition.

Re: Kool-Aid McKinstry R2 Pick
 

Good cb but I would have preferred Rakestraw.

Re: Kool-Aid McKinstry R2 Pick
 

Another good pick

Re: Kool-Aid McKinstry R2 Pick
 

There was a run on corners so probably paid off to move up if KoolAid is that dude.

Re: Kool-Aid McKinstry R2 Pick
 

Alontae Taylor will be asked to move to Left Tackle lol.

Seriously I kind of wonder if trade, cut, or retirement is in the cards for Lattimore. I dont think Lattimore has a lot of trade value.

Re: Kool-Aid McKinstry R2 Pick
 

Idk With ML, PA, and AT most likely someone will be traded. Chances are it will be ML or PA. Marshon for salary cap relief or Paulson if can’t come to agreement for extension

Re: Kool-Aid McKinstry R2 Pick
 

I don’t dislike the pick. He’s a really talented player and quality corners are hard to find. I’m sure we’ll get some big uglies later. There’s always undervalued and under evaluated IOL in the middle rounds.

Re: Kool-Aid McKinstry R2 Pick
 

Lattimore is tradeable with a post June designation
I think he plays this year and gets cut or moves on next year

Re: Kool-Aid McKinstry R2 Pick
 

Best name in the draft!

Re: Kool-Aid McKinstry R2 Pick
 

I doubt we trade any. We are shallow at CB no reason to trade any but Marshawn. All have very low cap hits but him.

Re: Kool-Aid McKinstry R2 Pick
 

If we could trade any of them for a tackle or guard of similar value there would be a lot of reason. Also if you feel we are shallow at corner, which of our 4 corners could you not see making the pro bowl if they had a good year?

Re: Kool-Aid McKinstry R2 Pick
 

Re: Kool-Aid McKinstry R2 Pick
 

Injuries happen... He replaces Yiadom as an even better cheaper talent. Can't argue with the Bama lineage.

Re: Kool-Aid McKinstry R2 Pick
 

This the one.

Re: Kool-Aid McKinstry R2 Pick
 

strengthen the secondary .... all good.

Re: Kool-Aid McKinstry R2 Pick
 

1st rd talent selected in the 2nd.

Value

Re: Kool-Aid McKinstry R2 Pick
 

He is one of the last players tutored by Nick Saban. He has the right training and coaching to be a pro bowler in DA's system. I like the pick.

Oh yeah, he's not a reach even though we traded up to get him. He's great value in the second round. :biggun:

Re: Kool-Aid McKinstry R2 Pick
 

Four legit CB's in a passing league. Injuries happen. Can't pay everyone. Great value pick for this season and beyond.

Re: Kool-Aid McKinstry R2 Pick
 

Personally, I think Kool Aid would flourish in a zone system like Philadelphia, San Francisco, or Baltimore. However, he's talented enough to still make an impact down here in New Orleans. He has great hips. That's super important for the position. He also uses the sideline as his friend and has good timing on PBU's. I believe he has a high ceiling.

Re: Kool-Aid McKinstry R2 Pick
 

Re: Kool-Aid McKinstry R2 Pick
 

I realize that the second round players want to see how much money the players picked ahead of them are getting paid and then maximize their contract. But, dang it man. He's got an injury right now and I think he's missing rookie mini camp too.

We have a strong CB room and we need everyone to stay healthy if we want to see the playoffs.

Re: Kool-Aid McKinstry R2 Pick
 

Kool-Aid was in the rookie camp. He walked through all the plays. The rookie salaries are predetermined by the CBA and cannot be changed. The only thing that can be negotiated are when and how the guaranteed amounts are paid.

That said, I believe he signed yesterday. He missed nothing.

Re: Kool-Aid McKinstry R2 Pick
 

Re: Kool-Aid McKinstry R2 Pick
 

I guess she already had a nice house. :)