The New Orleans Saints traded up from the 45th overall selection to 41 and selected Kool-Aid McKinstry from the Alabama Crimson Tide in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
The junior from Birmingham, Alabama comes in at 6’1″ and 195 pounds after finishing as a top corner in college football and helping lead the Tide to the Rose Bowl against the Michigan Wolverines.
McKinstry racked up 92 tackles during his time in Tuscaloosa and a pair of interceptions. He also had two sacks and 25 passes defended in his three seasons.
New Orleans gave up 45, 168, and 190 in this year’s draft to trade up the four spots, taking the 41st pick from the Green Bay Packers. This move comes after the speculation of Marshon Lattimore’s future with the franchise being in jeopardy.
He’s described as a patient corner who plays with a ton of consistency and is a good communicator in the defensive secondary. McKinstry is strong with breaking up pass attempts and closing in on receivers with his mix of speed and strength.
McKinstry will look to play early on in his NFL career with New Orleans in a secondary that has largely been in flux over the last few seasons between injuries and youth. Paulson Adebo and Alontae Taylor are still experiencing the highs and lows of getting a grip on the NFL while Lattimore has dealt with several injuries over the last few seasons.
“I’m just ready to step in and do whatever I can for the team and show what I can do as a player,” McKinstry said in a zoom interview with the media shortly following the selection.
As of now, the Saints won’t pick again until the 150th selection on Saturday afternoon.