Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports A new corner has arrived. In the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, the Saints traded up from pick 45 to pick 41 from the Green Bay Packers. Kool-Aid McKinstry is now a member of the New Orleans Saints, and it makes sense. Besides having the best name in the draft, Kool-Aid is an amazing pick. Throughout the draft process, people have put him as one of the top corners this year, and in college this past season, he was only targeted 39 times. Kool-Aid has some of the best press skills in the whole draft and fits the Saints’ scheme very well. The Saints love to have their cornerbacks press like they are in man and end up dropping into zone coverage. This is one of the best things that Kool-Aid does in coverage, and in man, he can lock up almost any wide receiver. The Saints also value that their corners should be able to tackle, and McKinstry is very good at wrapping up offensive players. On special teams, he is also a great punt returner. At the NFL Combine, Kool-Aid ran a 4.47 40-yard dash on an injured foot. There is a very good chance that he would have had a much better 40-yard dash. His injury should not be a worry, but that also meant his RAS score was incomplete. Obviously, that is important for the Saints, and his RAS score is predicted to be around 7.50. 
Brianna Paciorka / USA TODAY NETWORK Apart from his extreme talent on the field, there are other reasons for drafting Kool-Aid McKinstry. The first is that injuries have plagued the Saints in the cornerback room for many years. The Saints like to use a lot of DBs on the field, so depth is super important. We can see defensive sets next season with Lattimore, Adebo, Taylor, and McKinstry simultaneously on the field. If one corner gets injured, then Kool-Aid can slot right in. The next reason is that Paulson Adebo is entering into a contract year. The Saints are being very careful with the contracts that they are giving, and they might not want to pay Adebo a big contract. This pick could be excellent insurance if Adebo walks in free agency. Cornerback was not a big need for the Saints, but over the past two days, there have been rumors that the Saints are valuing cornerback as one of their top positions. The elephant in the room is the possibility of Marshon Lattimore being traded away. It is still a rumor and could end up being just that, but getting insurance, no matter what is smart. As I mentioned, the Saints traded up for this pick, and the value was amazing. They only gave up two day 3 picks and 45 to trade up and draft at pick 41. One of the biggest criticisms of the Saints’ past drafts was making reaches for players. This move is the complete opposite because Kool-Aid McKinstry should have been a mid-first round pick. His injury is probably the reason for him falling, but he should be healthy by the start of the season. The value is something that the New Orleans Saints could not pass up. This pick made a lot of sense for the team, and as of right now, it is a home run. Source: https://www.canalstreetchronicles.com/2 ... -nfl-draft
