Saints pick Alabama CB Kool-Aid McKinstry: NFL draft profile, college stats, highlights
The New Orleans Saints traded up to select Alabama CB Kool-Aid McKinstry with the No. 41 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
New Orleans moved up to No. 41 in a trade with the Green Bay Packers. The Saints received pick No. 41 and dealt Nos. 45, 168 and 190 to Green Bay.
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.
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 nickname
His name is Ga'Quincy McKinstry but he's gone by the nickname "Kool-Aid" his whole life.
"I came out my mom smiling and my grandmother was right there by the bed and she said I had a 'Kool-Aid' smile," McKinstry told the SEC Network.
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.
Chase Goodbread contributed to this report
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Saints take Alabama's Kool-AId McKinstry in Round 2: NFL draft profile
