The Greatest Name In NFL Draft History
By Peter Andrisani (The Mock Draft Guy)
Some names in sports are just legendary. Dick Trickle, Your highness Morgan, Usain Bolt, General Booty, and my personal favorite, Rusty Kuntz. The point is that some guys just have to become stars in their respective professions due to their names. The newest is the focal point of today's prospect profile, Alabama Crimson Tides Kool-Aid McKinstry. These videos highlight a player's strengths, areas to improve upon, scheme Fit, team fits, pro comparison, and overall draft projection.
STRENGTHS
Ga'Quincy McKinstry was given his excellent nickname at a young age by his grandmother due to his exceptional personality and calm demeanor. The 6'1 195 pound corner is the ideal athlete to play as an outside cornerback at the NFL Level and has been starting since his true freshman season.
In 2022, he played 796 snaps out wide, all of which came as a right cornerback. His mirror ability and recovery speed are NFL caliber for how much press coverage he plays, as 427 of his 518 total coverage snaps were in press coverage. His hips are fluid and explosive. He also has a ton of production on the ball in the form of forced incompletions, 18, due to his great instincts with his back to the ball.
Kool-Aid has some of the best Zone coverage awareness from any corner I've evaluated since I started. McKinstry consistently reads the quarterback and reacts to unfolding plays with lightning quickness. His processing skills and play recognition are unmatched by any corner in the draft class.
McKinstry has a deceptively calm and relaxed demeanor in coverage; there is no panic in his game, even if the coverage starts to break down. He maintains his poise and makes the necessary adjustments promptly, something you don't see from many corner prospects.
Despite Kool-Aid's slender-looking frame, he does not lack functional play strength. He is Physical and authoritative at the route's peak, especially when receivers attempt to assert dominance through aggressive play. On top of that, he boasts an impressive reach. He uses it adeptly, leveraging receivers and using it to break up passes.
McKinstry also displays some excellent ball skills, breaking up a tremendous 15 passes last season. In a defense that plays predominately cover 7, Mckinstry is a fantastic communicator and has a brilliant defensive mind and football IQ. He also brings a return wrinkle in his game and as a punt returner. Playing special teams at the next level is always a plus.
WEAKNESSES
Like every prospect, Kool-Aid McKinstry has his fair share of areas to improve upon. His footwork to stay sticky against comeback routes and curls can also give him more effectiveness. He's got the athleticism to be more consistent here; he plays as if he's a bit bored at times, trying to bait the quarterback a little too much.
McKinstry likes to play a physical brand of football, but I believe he can be overactive down the field, leaving his hand-fighting open to interpretation by officials. His Physical brand of football tiptoes the fine line between aggressive and handsy. He needs to refine his hand technique just a bit if he wants to continue playing this football style at the NFL Level.
While it's not set in stone, McKinstry's straight-line speed appears only adequate. I'm no expert by any stretch of the imagination, but he may run in the mid-4.5s. This isn't the end of the world, but it's not exactly Ideal when you have guys like Tyreek Hill running wild on Sundays. I wouldn't be surprised if a move back to safety is in his future at the NFL Level.
SCHEME FIT
Regarding scheme fits for Kool-Aid McKinstry, The NFL is moving more and more toward zone coverages meant to keep action in front of defensive backs. That is where McKinstry is at his best. The Alabama defensive playbook is a bible, and McKinstry knows every word and diagram from front to back. His on-field coaching ability and intelligence make him a perfect fit for a Vic Fangio type of Cover 2 Quarters rotation, where on-field communication is critical.
TEAM FITS
Here are 5 Teams that I think can look to draft Kool-Aid McKinstry in the 2024 NFL Draft:
The Los Angeles Chargers. The Chargers secondary has been completely underwhelming this season, with no bonafide lockdown corner on the roster.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Buc's secondary turned to mush after the first 3 games of the season. A Big-time upgrade is needed.
The Chicago Bears. I'm not sure if Jaylon Johnson will come back after this season. That would create a massive hole in the Bear's secondary, which is already thin to begin with.
The Los Angeles Rams. The Rams are still looking for a corner that can replace what Jalen Ramsey brought to the table. McKinstry could be that true boundary lockdown.
Finally, The Denver Broncos. Man, could you imagine how hard it would be to throw against the Broncos with Kool-Aid and Pat Surtain on the field?
PRO COMPARISON
My Pro Comparison for Kool-Aid McKinstry is Jaycee Horn. Horn and McKinstry are highly skilled in tight man coverage, almost exclusively on the outside. Both players also exhibit extreme aggressiveness and often use their hands.
Horn was similar to Kool-Aid through the draft process, as one of his main concerns was how he tiptoed the line between aggressive and handsy. Regardless, Horn is fantastic when he is on the field.
DRAFT PROJECTION
Kool-Aid McKinstry is the clear-cut number 1 in a surprisingly thin cornerback class. Nobody in this year's class can match his pressman ability, and no corner has his intelligence and zone coverage instincts.
Many teams in this year's draft will look to improve their secondary early. This is one of the main reasons I think Kool-Aid McKinstry will be a top 20 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
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