Getty Packers head coach Matt LaFleur.
The Green Bay Packers are loaded at the cornerback position, but that shouldn’t stop the team from looking to add a little ‘juice’ to the secondary next spring.
Dalton Wasserman of Pro Football Focus (PFF) on Thursday, June 29, produced a list of 2024 NFL Draft prospects each NFC team should keep an eye on as additions next April. His recommendation to the Packers was Ga’Quincy “Kool-Aid” McKinstry, a stud defensive back who is currently a member of the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Green Bay’s success will depend on the roster construction around Jordan Love. Their pass catchers are talented but incredibly young. Their best chance to win will be through their running game and defense.
Kool-Aid McKinstry is someone who could make an immediate impact in 2024. He is currently PFF’s top-rated cornerback in the 2024 class and led the nation last season with 16 pass breakups. His 57.9 passer rating allowed is excellent considering he had 80 balls thrown his way, the eighth-most in the country. The Packers have had issues finding someone to produce opposite Jaire Alexander. McKinstry could be the answer.
Addition of Kool-Aid McKinstrey Would Give Packers Arguably NFL’s Top CB Tandem in 2024
GettyCornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry of the Alabama Crimson Tide is a high-value target for the Green Bay Packers in the 2024 NFL Draft.
McKinstry is the type of player who could burst onto the scene as one of the NFL’s best at the position, much like Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner did with the New York Jets last season when he won the league’s Defensive Rookie of the Year Award.
McKinstry stands at 6’1″ and weighs 188 pounds. He will play his third collegiate season at the age of 21 before becoming eligible for the draft next spring. Along with his 15 pass breakups last season, McKinstry notched 35 tackles, including two tackles for loss, one interception and one sack, per Football Reference.
Meanwhile, Alexander has established himself as one of the top-five cornerbacks in the league, earning his second Pro-Bowl nod and Second-Team All-Pro honors for the second time in 2022. He broke up 14 passes and made five interceptions across 16 games played last season.
Green Bay signed Alexander to a four-year, $84 million extension in May 2022.
Packers May Still Consider Adding Immediate Help at Safety This Summer
GettyThe Green Bay Packers let safety Adrian Amos walk in free agency this summer and have yet to replace him with a player who boasts similar experience or success.
While McKinstrey is a great plan for next offseason, Green Bay still needs to consider its secondary in 2023.
The team let four-year starting safety Adrian Amos walk in free agency this summer, and he eventually signed on as part of the great Packers’ migration to New York and the Jets. As a result, Green Bay is thin at the position, which doesn’t track logically considering how heavily the team has invested in cornerbacks to solidify its secondary — both in terms of draft choices and overall salary.
If the season began today, Darnell Savage and Jonathan Owens would be the Packers’ starting safeties, which doesn’t inspire much confidence, even in an NFC North Division absent big-time arms. Green Bay still has nearly $14.3 million in cap space for 2023 and could look to bolster the position ahead of training camp.