Alabama has had an impressive run of defensive backs being drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft, and junior corner Kool-Aid McKinstry will likely be next up.
McKinstry was the No. 13th overall player and the top-ranked corner in the 2021 recruiting cycle out of Pinson, AL. As a true freshman in 2021, he made an immediate impact earning Freshman All-SEC Team by the coaches in the conference. In 2022 he picked right back up where he left off, totaling 29 solo tackles, 15 pass deflections with a sack, and an interception, in addition to being named First Team All-SEC.
According to NFL draft analysts, McKinstry is projected to be the top corner and one of the 10 best players in the 2024 NFL Draft. If this prediction comes to fruition, he will be the 16th Alabama defensive back since 2000 to have been chosen in the first two rounds of the NFL Draft. He will be joining the likes of recently drafted Patrick Surtain Jr, Trevon Diggs, and Minkah Fitzpatrick, who’ve all had a lot of success in the first couple of years in the league since leaving the Crimson Tide.
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