In a polarizing 2024 NFL Draft safety class, Miami’s Kamren Kinchens might be one of the most polarizing prospects on the board. He has the production profile, but how does Kinchens’ composite scouting report match up amongst his positional competitors?
Kamren Kinchens’ Draft Profile and Measurements
- Height: 5’11 1/4″
- Weight: 206 pounds
- Length: 31 1/4″
- Wingspan: 75″
- Hand: 9 3/4″
- Position: Safety
- School: Miami (FL)
- Current Year: Junior
Kinchens was only a three-star recruit in the 2021 cycle. He proved the saying true that the cream always rises to the top.
Kinchens saw early returns as a true freshman, and in 2022, he morphed into a first-team All-American and All-ACC performer. He amassed 59 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, six interceptions, and six pass deflections.
Kamren Kinchens is a FS prospect in the 2024 draft class. He scored a 2.43 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 828 out of 1092 FS from 1987 to 2024. https://t.co/eqCLsDI9KA pic.twitter.com/GhHUlVs7lm
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) April 24, 2024
In 2023, Kinchens nearly matched that production on the ball, racking up five picks and five pass breakups, while also accruing 59 tackles, 2.5 TFLs, and a sack. His performance earned him a trip to the Reese’s Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama.
Kinchens’ NFL Combine showing confounded evaluators, as the Miami safety — who’d previously been lauded for his athleticism — tested with below-average numbers, logging a 4.65 40-yard dash and an uninspiring 9’2″ broad jump.
How should those numbers factor into Kinchens’ evaluation, when the necessary range and explosiveness are visible on tape? That’s what we’ll aim to discuss in the report below.
Kinchens’ Scouting Report
Strengths
- Compactly built safety with good overall frame density and decent proportional length.
- Accelerates with little strain and can cover large swaths of ground exploding downhill.
- Energetic athlete who can suddenly snap in and out of phase and quicken his strides.
- Has the hip flexibility to glide and roll his hips in space, maintaining angle leverage.
- Floats and freely throttles up on his backpedal and can easily sink and transition.
- Has true centerfielder range as a single-high safety, closing ground on deep passes.
- Plays faster than his 40-yard dash time and can use his range to make plays.
- Has the processing capacity and eye discipline to parse through route patterns.
- Stays keyed in on QB’s eyes and uses them to guide his process, reacting fast to intent.
- Has excellent eyes and ball-tracking ability, and flows to passes in deep coverage.
- Proactive in extending and using his length and coordination to impact passes.
- Quick-processing support presence with corrective mobility ahead of contact.
- Explodes into contact with exorbitant bursts of energy and forceful physicality.
- Can use his frame density and tenacity at contact to jar the ball loose from runners.
- Urgent competitor who can man up tight ends and barrels downhill in support.
Weaknesses
- Closing acceleration might not be elite, as he can’t always close gaps from behind.
- Timed speed re-emphasized questions about peak athleticism and gap-closing ability.
- Doesn’t quite have elite hip fluidity, requiring gather steps on 180-degree transitions.
- Non-elite fluidity and recovery athleticism limits his projection in man coverage.
- Can get tunnel vision over the middle in two-high, failing to recognize boundary routes.
- Occasionally gravitates to underneath routes when he should carry vertical targets.
- Eye discipline can improve in two-high when managing space between routes.
- Despite processing ability, can be prone to coverage lapses when carrying in zone.
- Sometimes drifts too far inward at stems, opening up space for quick outs and RAC.
- At times, initial attack angles downhill are too narrow, allowing space on the boundary.
- Tackling form and discipline can be more consistent when attacking at contact.
Current Draft Projection and Summary
Kinchens grades out as a top-100 prospect and one of the early-round safety options in the class. There was once Round 1 buzz for Kinchens, but his testing may relegate him to the Day 2 range. That said, in the right defensive scheme, he could be an early contributor.
Kinchens has the ball production to back up his playmaking ability, and he’s an extremely well-put-together DB with all of the requisite physical qualities.
At 5’11”, 206 pounds, Kinchens has a strong and dense frame. He’s an explosive and energetic mover — more so than his testing would suggest — and his short-area mobility allows him to adjust his leverage in support and coverage, while his long-track range plays well in space.
With his skill set, Kinchens can play single-high, two-high, or rotate into the box and cover intermediate zones. He also has a strong enough frame, combined with his quick feet and swift stimulus reaction, to man up TEs in the slot.
Kinchens can still improve his technique and spatial discipline in off-man coverage, and there are occasional lapses in communication in coverage. Additionally, his non-elite athleticism limits his margin for error and minimizes his appeal in press-man against NFL wide receivers.
Still, Kinchens is a talented player who also has the processing capacity, route recognition, range, and ball skills to close the lid on big plays. In the short and intermediate zones, he’s a forceful support player who can use his frame to wall off runs from breaching upfield.
KEEP READING: Top Safeties in the 2024 NFL Draft
As long as he continues to iron out minor inconsistencies in his game, Kinchens has the passable functional athleticism, coverage versatility, and support upside to be a quality NFL starter, with particular appeal as a playmaker at field safety, working in two-high and single-high.
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