People were somewhat confused when the New Orleans Saints selected a cornerback in the second round of the 2024 NFL draft, but it has quickly become a fantastic idea.
Not only was rookie Kool-Aid McKinstry an important part of the team this past season, but he is going to be a massive part of the future. Pro Football Focus’ Bradley Locker recently listed McKinstry as the Saints’ top breakout candidate for next season.
This is what Locker had to say about the former Alabama Crimson Tide standout:
The Saints’ defensive line was plagued all year long, but McKinstry was encouraging in the team’s secondary. The second-round pick produced a 67.1 PFF coverage grade, permitting a catch on only 57.9% of his targets and racking up five pass breakups. McKinstry’s 84th-percentile PFF coverage grade in single coverage and 79th-percentile PFF coverage grade on passes with no pressure also render him very valuable moving forward.
As a rookie, he accumulated 42 tackles with two for a loss and six passes broken up. Those numbers might not jump off the page, but he is a solid player that had very little help in coverage.
Per PFF’s metrics, he was targeted 57 times and allowed 33 catches for 404 yards this year. There wasn’t really one game that he really got dominated in, but he was consistently giving up around 30 yards an outing.
Overall, he did fine for a rookie and did enough to be excited about his future.
