Fans will shout 'Oh yeah!' if 49ers draft this cornerback in Round 1
The 49ers could bolster their secondary with this player via the NFL Draft.
The NFL Draft begins this Thursday, April 25. There is a lot of speculation about which prospect the San Francisco 49ers will draft in the first round with the No. 31 overall pick.
The Niners could make a splash by drafting a cornerback that will make fans shout, "Oh, yeah!"
That would be Kool-Aid McKinstry out of Alabama.
49ers fans will shout 'Oh yeah!' if team drafts Kool-Aid McKinstry in 1st round
Many believe the 49ers will draft an offensive lineman. This makes sense given the fact the offensive line is not outstanding outside of left tackle Trent Williams. They could certainly use some more support, especially on the right side of the line.
However, this year's offensive tackle class runs deep, so the Niners should not feel like the first round is their only opportunity to draft a quality offensive lineman.
That is why they could potentially turn their attention to another area of need: the secondary, specifically the cornerback position.
The 49ers did make an effort to address their cornerback group this offseason. Charvarius Ward played great last year, as did Deomodore Lenoir, and the team added Rock Ya-Sin and Isaac Yiadom to the group, which added some much-needed depth.
However, San Francisco could draft a cornerback who has the potential to form a formidable duo with Ward on the outside.
That cornerback is McKinstry.
McKinstry is coming off of a great 2023 with Alabama in which he earned All-American honors. Standing at 6-foot-1 and weighing in at 195 pounds, the 21 year old was a solid cornerback in his collegiate career.
Bleacher Report notes his ability to play well in both man and zone and his solid route-recognition skills. However, the fact that he only had two interceptions in his collegiate career does raise some questions about his potential as a ball hawk.
Additionally, McKinstry did play as a punt returner in both 2022 and 2023, so perhaps he could assist in that role as well after the 49ers lost wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud in free agency.
It is questionable whether McKinstry will even fall to the Niners, of course. CBS Sports projects him to be drafted late in the first round, and with several solid cornerbacks in this draft, he could still be available for the Niners when it is time for them to pick.
McKinstry would be a risky draft choice compared to an offensive lineman, but it could pay big dividends if he can develop into a solid cornerback in the NFL.
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