Kool-Aid McKinstry Fantasy Stats

The New Orleans Saints are excited about second-year cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry, according to The Athletic's Jeff Howe. McKinstry showed up to training camp in terrific shape and has "shown strong ball skills, instincts and toughness." The former second-rounder out of Alabama could become the team's next stud cornerback after both Marshon Lattimore and Paulson Adebo have left town. In his first taste of the NFL last year, the 27-year-old defensive back had 42 tackles (32 solo) and six pass breakups in 15 games (nine starts) in the Big Easy as a starter. It wasn't a bad showing for a rookie cornerback that was forced into a starting role, and it sounds as though McKinstry is ready to take the next step in Year 2 for a Saints team that isn't expected to do much under first-year head coach Kellen Moore. Takeways have never been a part of McKinstry's game, though, making him avoidable in IDP formats.

New Orleans Saints cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry is in line to start in his second year in the NFL now that both Marshon Lattimore and Paulson Adebo are out of town, according to Larry Holder of The Athletic. The former second-rounder (41st overall) out of Alabama became a starter for the Saints midway through his rookie season when Lattimore was traded and Adebo was injured. The 22-year-old defensive back held his own with opposing passer ratings below 78.0 in five of his final seven games, per Pro Football Reference. QBs only combined for a 30 percent completion rate when targeting McKinstry in the final three contests. McKinstry finished his first year with 42 tackles (32 solo) and six pass breakups in 15 games (nine starts). He will have many more opportunities to make an impact for New Orleans' secondary in 2025.

New Orleans Saints defensive back Kool-Aid McKinstry (knee) suffered a knee injury in the team's preseason contest against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. The good news is that head coach Dennis Allen said that they think they avoided anything major. The exact injury to his knee hasn't been confirmed just yet, but it seems like he'll at least sit out of practice for a bit to make sure everything is healed. The Alabama product was the team's second-round pick in this year's NFL Draft and he's projected to get a good bit of work behind Marshon Lattimore to start the season as long as he doesn't suffer any setbacks.

With the No. 41 pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, the Saints selected Alabama cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry. New Orleans traded with Green Bay for this pick, so the 21-year-old will fill a void on the defensive side of the ball. McKinstry, a 2023 All-American, played three seasons at Alabama. He totaled 93 tackles (62 solo), adding two picks, two sacks, and 23 passes defensed. With the Saints looking to finish atop the NFC South in 2024-25, McKinstry should play a pivotal role right out of the gate.

The Athletic's Bruce Feldman has the Jacksonville Jaguars selecting Alabama cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry with the 23rd overall pick in the first round of this year's NFL draft after trading back with the Pittsburgh Steelers. McKinstry was a three-year starter in a complex defensive system and has high intelligence with good leadership qualities. He's polished but not exactly a burner and is coming off a Jones fracture in one of his toes that required surgery this year. In his three years at Alabama, the 21-year-old defensive back had 62 tackles, five tackles for loss, two sacks and two interceptions. McKinstry was an All-American in 2023. "Really smart and savvy. Not as quick out of his break as Arnold. He uses his hands to make up for his feet. Will jump routes," one coach said.

During a medical examination at the 2024 NFL Combine, Former Alabama defensive back Kool-Aid McKinstry (foot) was found to have a Jones fracture in his right foot. He did not participate in on-field work, but he did participate in Alabama's Pro Day before having surgery to repair his injury. According to sources, doctors deemed his recovery from surgery to be on track and as expected. This is good news for the 2023 first-team All-American, and hopefully, it will keep his stock from falling. Over the last two seasons, McKinstry totaled 67 tackles, 22 passes defended, and one interception for the Crimson Tide. He also racked up over 400 yards as a punt returner. The 21-year-old is expected to be a late-first-round pick later this month.