In the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, the New Orleans Saints saw an opportunity to move up and pounced. They made a deal with the Green Bay Packers, who had originally acquired the selection from the New York Jets in the Aaron Rodgers trade.
With the ninth pick in the second round, No. 41 overall, the Saints selected cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry out of Alabama. Throughout the pre-draft process, McKinstry was a first-round pick in mock drafts, which means the Saints are getting excellent value with where they selected him.
While some of his tape from 2023 showed inconsistencies, McKinstry garnered a ton of experience starting 33 games with the Crimson Tide. He possesses excellent size for a defensive back in the NFL and isn’t afraid to mix things up in press coverage.
The move to trade up and pick McKinstry is one that an NFL scout who spoke to NFL Analysis Network liked a lot. While praising the Saints, they also took a shot at the Packers, unsure as to why they would trade out of the spot with defensive back being a need for them as well.
“Why the Packers would have traded out of that pick with Kool-Aid McKinstry available I have no idea. But, the Saints capitalized and picked up a massive steal. McKinstry has the potential to be an elite lockdown cornerback at the NFL level.
He’s literally a near exact comparison to current Saints’ star Marshon Lattimore. This is a huge upgrade for the New Orleans defense.”
In addition to his impact as a cornerback, McKinstry has shown some explosiveness as a punt returner as well. Being able to kill two birds with one stone when it comes to filling out the roster makes the Alabama product an even more valuable player for the Saints.
While cornerback wasn’t the most pressing need in New Orleans, sometimes value outweighs that. He will provide some insurance along with Paulson Adebo as 2022 second-round pick Alontae Taylor has played as much as they had hoped behind their star, Marshon Lattimore.
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