Colts Predicted to Make Major Rookie Addition to Secondary
There's still a long way to go until the 2024 NFL draft. But with the draft positions and needs of each team coming into focus, NFL experts are beginning to weigh-in on where each team could go in the first round.
On Friday, Pro Football Focus' Trevor Sikkema projected the Colts to address their secondary by selecting Alabama cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry at No. 21 overall in the first round.
"The Colts have played some young cornerbacks this season out of necessity, but none with McKinstry's talent level," Sikkema wrote. "The Alabama outside cornerback played more than 1,000 coverage snaps, including 550-plus in press coverage, over the past two seasons, with coverage grades above 80.0 in both years."
This isn't the first time the Colts have been connected to McKinstry. ESPN's Matt Miller slotted the Alabama cornerback to the Colts at No. 16 overall in a mock draft released on December 12.
"McKinstry entered this season as my top-ranked cornerback and then broke up six passes over 13 games while allowing a 32.1% completion percentage (tied for 16th-best in the country)," Miller wrote. "The 6-foot-1, 195-pounder hasn't recorded an interception this season but has quick feet in coverage and great length to lock down top wideouts."
McKinstry finished the 2023 season with 32 total tackles, including 2 for loss and 7 pass defenses.
Last season, McKinstry had 15 pass defenses and 1 interception with 35 total tackles.
The Colts have drafted a defensive back on the second day of the draft each of the past two seasons. But even with that young talent (JuJu Bents and Nick Cross were those two defenders), the Colts could still use cornerback depth, especially if veteran slot cornerback Kenny Moore II leaves in free agency.
The Colts will likely have enough other needs that it wouldn't be surprising if they trust their scouts and plan to target a defensive back on Day 2 of the draft again.
But a talented cornerback such as McKinstry is a faster potential fix for the secondary. He also would come with a higher likelihood of long-term success than a Day 2 cornerback.
