Former Alabama cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry became the second Alabama CB taken in the 2024 NFL Draft on Friday. The New Orleans Saints selected McKinstry in the second round with the No. 41 overall pick.

McKinstry was seen as a fringe first-round by most NFL Draft experts. While he ultimately dropped into the second round, he didn’t stay off of the board for long. He is the fourth Alabama player to be selected in the 2024 draft, joining linebacker Dallas Turner, offensive lineman JC Latham and fellow CB Terrion Arnold, who were all taken on Day 1.

Last season, McKinstry racked up 32 total tackles and seven pass deflections. He was a first-team All-American in 2023 and earned first-team All-SEC honors in back-to-back campaigns for the Crimson Tide. He saved one of his better games for last, racking up five tackles in Alabama’s College Football Playoff loss to Michigan.

McKinstry watched the draft with friends and family in Birmingham and received a heap of praise from his former coach Nick Saban. McKinstry was a three-year starter under the legendary coach. ESPN also aired a short segment on McKinstry switching his name to Kool-Aid on Alabama's roster.

“He has great football intuition, great instincts,” Saban said on ESPN. “He understands offense. Understands pattern match. Really a fast reactor in the secondary. He ran a good enough time I thought it would move him up the charts the way he played. He’s a good punt returner as well. I just love this guy. He’s really smart and instinctive and I think that’s why he’s going to be a really good player.”

McKinstry’s three seasons as a starter at the college level gives him a wealth of experience to take to the NFL level. At 6 feet, 200 pounds he brings ideal size at the cornerback position and plays fundamentally sound football. He’s a talented cover corner and has the potential to become a high-end starter with the Saints.

"McKinstry is patient and well-groomed in matching the outside release and riding the inside release from press," NFL Draft analyst Lance Zierlein writes. "He’s confident to handle business on an island and is able to stay in phase as the route travels vertically. He’s not overly fast but does play with plus acceleration to close out crossing routes or make aggressive plays on the catch point. As with most college corners, McKinstry will need to transition some of his open-field hand usage into quality footwork to avoid downfield penalties."