This past weekend marked the conclusion of the rookie minicamp for the New Orleans Saints; however, second-round pick Kool-Aid McKinstry was noticeably absent from the field as he continues to recover from an injury. On Saturday, McKinstry told reporters he was working to return to the field as soon as possible, but he gave no timetable.
“Just rehabbing right now, you know, we’re all on the same page,” McKinstry remarked. “Trying to return as soon as feasible while remaining prudent. That’s sort of where we are at the moment.
At the NFL Scouting Combine, it was revealed that McKinstry had a Jones fracture in his right foot, which is preventing him from starting his career with the Saints in full health. Despite this, the team still had him participate in walk-throughs over the weekend to keep up with his fellow rookies.
“The coaches do a great job of explaining everything,” McKinstry said. “I’ve seen a lot of this stuff while playing at Alabama, so it’s just about using different terminology to describe the same concepts.
“They’ve been letting me join the walk-throughs. I go through the motions and see everything, moving around with the guys. There’s a player in front of me, so I follow him and walk through the plays. I’m still getting mental reps and making the most of them.”
Saints shore up cornerback room with McKinstry
Once the former Crimson Tide cornerback returns to full health, the Saints will integrate him into a lineup that includes veterans Marshawn Lattimore, Alontae Taylor, and Paulson Adebo. New Orleans selected McKinstry with the 41st overall pick early in the second round, indicating their significant plans for him despite his unexpected injury. To secure McKinstry, the Saints traded up, giving Green Bay their fifth-round pick (No. 168) and sixth-round pick (No. 190).
Saints head coach Dennis Allen told reporters after the draft that the team had graded McKinstry as a first-round talent. Even though cornerback wasn’t the team’s most urgent need, Allen emphasized that having “too many” good corners is never a problem.
“I feel really good about getting Kool-Aid,” Allen said. “He’s a highly intelligent and instinctual player who excels at press coverage. He can play on the outside and we believe he can also handle the nickel position inside, showing his versatility. We really like the player and felt getting him at that value was the right move.”