Marshon Lattimore. Paulson Adebo. Alontae Taylor or Kool-Aid McKinstry. That’s a New Orleans Saints secondary that has the potential to be one of the best in the league.
When the Saints selected McKinstry in the second round of this year’s NFL draft, they made one of their best additions of the offseason. Matter of fact, it was the fifth-best addition of their offseason.
The rookie is the first entry in our rankings of the five best newcomers to the New Orleans Saints. McKinstry’s greatest impact will likely come in 2025 and the future. That future impact was weighed both in his favor and against him.
It works against him because other players on this list should make a greater impact in their first year in black and gold. As of right now, it is unclear if he will be a starter when everyone is healthy.
His fastest route to the field is beating out Taylor as the starting nickel corner. McKinstry is unexperienced playing inside. Taylor was too before last season and went through growing pains. That’ll be one of the most exciting battles to watch in camp, and it could extend throughout the season.
McKinstry’s selection would lead you to believe Lattimore or Adebo could be playing their last season in New Orleans. McKinstry was a talented cornerback coming out of college who was picked with starting aspirations. His ball production slipped in his last season at Alabama but so did his targets. They plummeted from 80 targets to just 39 as a junior, per Pro Football Focus charting.
Feeling like the Saints have a plan for him elevates him into the top-five. He has the potential to be the starting nickel corner in 2024 or a starter on the outside in 2025. That mesh of future potential and present value makes him one of the best additions of the Saints offseason.
