Why Lions Landed Kool-Aid McKinstry in FanNation Mock Draft

The Detroit Lions end up with a star cornerback in SI NFL FanNation mock.

Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban talks with Kool-Aid McKinstry / John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

NFL publishers at SI FanNation recently completed our annual mock draft, one week before the festivities kick off next week in Detroit.

For this projection, the group withheld from making any trades, so Detroit selected at No. 29.

Though LSU wideout Brian Thomas Jr. was still available, the decision was made to target Alabama Crimson Tide cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry, who excels at man coverage.

As I explained, "The Lions are in need of solidifying their secondary after significant struggles last season. This offseason, general manager Brad Holmes traded for veteran Carlton Davis and signed Amik Robertson. McKinstry was a three-year starter who excelled in man coverage. His athleticism and versatility should translate to a successful career playing outside cornerback in defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn’s scheme."

Known as a solid tackler, McKinstry did not commit a single penalty in 2023. His length, ability to adapt quickly in route coverage and football IQ have been heralded by draft analysts. Despite average speed, McKindly is expected to compete for starter reps his first season in the NFL .

At his pre-draft media session, Holmes expressed the cornerback class projected to have a similar amount of "legit" Day 1 or Day 2 prospects as in years past.

“It’s a solid group," said Holmes. "I don’t think it’s really far from, I think I made a comment just the other week, just kind of looking at the whole class, I think it’s very normal of previous drafts in terms of the guys that I think probably are true legit Day 1 guys or Day 2 guys. So, I think it’s pretty normal. Again, they’re always different, but in terms of numbers of guys that are in those top rounds, I think it’s very similar.”