One of the top cornerback prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft will not be participating in the athletic testing portion of the NFL Combine. Per NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, doctors found that Alabama cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry has a Jones fracture in his right foot.
McKinstry won’t do any athletic testing or go through position drills in Indianapolis for the Combine but will test at his Pro Day at Alabama later on this month. The Crimson Tide corner will have surgery to fix the injury but should be 100% before NFL training camp opens up.
A Jones fracture is a fracture of the bone near your pinky toe, commonly occurring after increasing your training, moving laterally, jumping, or running on uneven surfaces. All of those naturally could have occurred during McKinstry’s preparation for the NFL Combine.
Given how uncomfortable this fracture is, it’s a prudent move for McKinstry not to test now so he can rest and put on a better showing later on at Alabama’s Pro Day.
Kool-Aid McKinstry Could Have Won Combine
It’s an unfortunate late injury for one of the most talented cover corners in this year’s NFL Draft. McKinstry has been one of the best corners in college football over the last few seasons.
However, the group of cornerbacks at the top of the 2024 NFL Draft is one of the best in recent memory.
With several players like Nate Wiggins, Quinyon Mitchell, and even McKinstry’s teammate Terrion Arnold projected to test extraordinarily well, being able to participate at the Combine with these guys could have kept McKinstry’s name from being overshadowed.
McKinstry’s performance at the positional drills would have been one of the best in years. While he might not have run a fast 40 or as fast as some of the others in this class, he would have shined in the drills.
Much like the drink he shares a name with, Kool-Aid McKinstry is a refreshingly smooth operator in space, and it helps him match up with the top receivers game-by-game. His agility testing likely would have placed among the top in this year’s group and might have been one of the top in recent Combine history.
He also has been a consistent punt returner in his career, adding another element to his game that shows natural athletic ability and coordination that would have shown in his drills.
KEEP READING: 2024 NFL Combine Results
McKinstry doesn’t boast the biggest splash plays but is still a shutdown corner. He’s consistently in the right spots and makes plays on the ball. It’s a shame we can’t see him go through the work on national television with the rest of his peers, but he’ll focus on getting healthy as the NFL Draft inches closer.
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