Kool-Aid McKinstry

New Orleans Saints

Pos CB

Updated October 8, 2026

Compare Kool-Aid McKinstry CB rankings →

Model Score

81.5 MODEL

2024

69.3

2025

86.2

2026

81.5

How good he is at what he is supposed to be doing, out of 100. Not a projection of what he will do next, and not a read on his contract. Median is about 70, and a 95 is rare. How it is built →

STM Take

Tier 8 (#72) rookie to tier 7 (#51) sophomore for a 41st overall 2nd-round pick puts McKinstry on the year-two developmental band. The Alabama SEC pedigree plus the structural Saints anchor role gives him real college foundation. The 2026 question is whether McKinstry crosses into tier 5-6 territory in his year-three jump or whether the structural tier 7 finish becomes the realistic baseline.

McKinstry came out of Alabama as the New Orleans Saints' 2nd-round pick (41st overall) in 2024 after winning the 2023 SEC Championship plus earning First-Team All-SEC honors. He spent his rookie year as developmental depth before emerging into a starter role in 2025. His STTM career runs tier 8 (#72) rookie to tier 7 (#51) sophomore, a 21-spot improvement still on the developmental band.

Strengths

Alabama SEC 2023 First-Team All-SEC honors plus the 41st overall draft slot establishes real elite college foundation.
21-spot year-over-year improvement from tier 8 (#72) rookie to tier 7 (#51) sophomore shows developmental trajectory.

Concerns

Tier 7 (#51) sophomore finish for a 41st overall pick is below the year-two median for 2nd-round CB prospects on Pro Bowl trajectories.
New Orleans's broader defensive identity transition plus the multi-year QB rebuild compresses the structural support around McKinstry.

What to watch: Whether McKinstry crosses into tier 5 (top 40) in 2026, the standard year-three threshold for 2nd-round CB picks on Pro Bowl trajectories.