The New Orleans Saints selected a player in the second round on Friday that will have a chip on his shoulder.
Ga’Quincy “Kool-Aid” McKinstry, a University of Alabama alumnus, was projected by most as a first round NFL Draft pick.
RELATED: NFC South team selects Kool-Aid McKinstry in the second round of 2024 NFL Draft
The former Crimson Tide cornerback fell to No. 41 overall in the second round. He has a point to prove in New Orleans in showing everyone, including the Saints, who passed on him in the first round that they were wrong. McKinstry joins former Alabama standouts Brian Branch, Xavier McKinney, Trevon Diggs, and Landon Collins as a first-round talent that dropped.
Branch, McKinney, Diggs are excelling in the National Football League. Collins is a free agent, but he has played eight years between the New York Giants (2015-18), Washington Redskins/Football Team (2019-21), and Giants again in 2022.
Robert Griffin III, a former Heisman Trophy winner at Baylor University, says the Saints got a ‘real one’ in McKinstry.
Griffin, the No. 2 overall pick of the 2012 NFL Draft, played eight seasons in the league with the Washington Redskins (2012-15), Cleveland Browns (2016), and Baltimore Ravens (2018-20) before injuries forced him to retire. Now an ESPN analyst and podcast show host of “RG3 and The Ones,” Griffin unveiled on X why New Orleans should be excited about McKinstry.
Kool-Aid Mckinstry is a Day 1 ready to play CB for the Saints. When you face him don’t think ish is sweet just because his name is Kool-Aid. He will hit you, strip you and lock you downnnnnn. He wants all the smoke and adds value as a punt returner. NOLA got a REAL ONE. @Saints pic.twitter.com/p5lgsLcDdk
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) April 27, 2024
He was a two-time first-team All-SEC honoree (2022, 2023) at Alabama and first-team All-American selection in 2023.
McKinstry earned two SEC Championships rings (2021, 2023) and made two College Football Playoff appearances.
*Get the BEST Alabama football insider information, message board access, and recruiting coverage today! SIGN UP HERE to unlock our subscriber-only content!*
Stephen M. Smith is the senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
