When your head coach begins to describe talking about you as a broken record, it's either really good or it's time to start packing your bags. For Kool-Aid McKinstry, it's nothing but positive reviews from Kellen Moore at New Orleans Saints training camp. "It's starting to become a little bit of a broken record. He's doing a phenomenal job," Moore said.
When you look at the Saints secondary, McKinstry is just one of two projected key contributors in the secondary who were on the team last season, along with Alontae Taylor. The loss of Marshon Lattimore, Paulson Adebo and the sudden departure of Tyrann Mathieu stripped that unit of pretty much all continuity.
As the unit rebuilds, McKinstry is the player they will count on to take that step forward. We've previously mentioned his ascension as the best case scenario for the Saints at cornerback, and his performance in training camp suggests that dream could come true.
Kool-Aid McKinstry taking the leap necessary to replace Marshon Lattimore and Paulson Adebo
There's no question McKinstry is the top cornerback on the team heading into the season. The uncertainty comes with who will be on the other side, as Taylor will frequently play in the slot, so there's extra pressure on McKinstry. Through the first week and a half of training camp, the second-year player is up to the task.
McKinstry brought down an interception in the Saints' scrimmage on Sunday. Moore took the moment to rave about the cornerback. "He's just doing a really good job taking great command. He's got great vision. He has ability to pattern match and take chances, but he can recover when he gets aggressive and I think that's the beauty of how he's playing right now."
Though this system is different from what the Saints played during McKinstry's rookie campaign, it's similar to what McKinstry did in college. The familiarity likely contributes to his fast start to camp. The mixture of physical and mental ability gives the cornerback the ability to take those chances Moore mentioned.
If McKinstry can take this performance into the season, the Saints will have themselves a true lead corner. When you lose your top two guys in succession like the Saints did, finding a competent replacement isn't the easiest task. The Saints planning ahead paid off.