Make the Case: CB Kool-Aid McKinstry

“McKinstry is patient and well-groomed in matching the outside release and riding the inside release from press. As with most college corners, McKinstry will need to transition some of his open-field hand usage into quality footwork to avoid downfield penalties. McKinstry is more of a pure cover man than a playmaker, but his poise, intelligence and athleticism should lead him toward becoming a good outside corner with scheme versatility.” – Lance Zierlein, NFL.com

“McKinstry is a smooth, athletic cornerback with average play speed. In press coverage, he carries his hands low and prefers to play under control rather than attack. He doesn’t have any tightness when opening up. There are some concerns with his deep speed when he’s challenged vertically. From off coverage, everything he does is smooth, but he lacks twitch and urgency. He does find and play the ball well, both in front of him and down the field. He isn’t ultra aggressive when it comes to getting involved in the run game, but he’s a reliable tackler in space. Overall, Kool-Aid has a lot of redeeming qualities. He’s not the fastest cornerback, but he showed enough speed at his pro day to help his stock heading into the draft.” – Daniel Jeremiah, NFL Network

“He was one of the best college cornerbacks over the past two seasons. He has very loose hips and match-and-mirror cover skills. A foot injury kept him from running at the combine, but he was in the high 4.4s in the 40-yard dash at his pro day. McKinstry had 20 pass breakups over the past two seasons.” – Field Yates, ESPN