Seattle Seahawks Top-30 Visits: Courting Kamren Kinchens as Do-It-All Safety?

A former All-American with rare ball skills for a safety, Kamren Kinchens could be an intriguing fit to add to new coach Mike Macdonald's defense with the Seattle Seahawks.

Oct 21, 2023; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Hurricanes safety Kamren Kinchens (5) celebrates / Rich Storry-USA TODAY Sports

After releasing long-time starters Quandre Diggs and Jamal Adams in March as cap casualties, the Seattle Seahawks have eyes on a potential long-term replacement for their secondary.

Per the player's Instagram account, Miami safety Kamren Kinchens flew out to Seattle for an official visit with the Seahawks on Tuesday. To this point, no visits with other teams have been reported.

#Seahawks bringing Miami safety Kamren Kinchens to town for top-30.

Thanks to @alexcastrofilho for the Instagram sleuthing! https://t.co/OK9diyC9PK

— Corbin K. Smith (@CorbinSmithNFL) April 10, 2024

One of college football's most electric playmaking safeties, Kinchens shined in coverage thanks to his outstanding instincts and ball skills, intercepting 11 passes and returning two of them for touchdowns in his final two seasons with the Hurricanes. He also tallied 59 combined tackles in each of those two seasons and added two fumble recoveries and a sack for good measure.

A hard-nosed safety who can make plays against the run as well as pick off passes in bunches in coverage, Kamren Kinchens likely will go off the board on day two of the 2024 NFL Draft. / Nell Redmond-USA TODAY Sports

Enjoying his best season in 2022 as a sophomore, per Pro Football Focus, Kinchens held opposing quarterbacks to a 57 percent completion rate while racking up six interceptions and four pass breakups. Though he wasn't as effective yielding four touchdowns and 472 yards in coverage last season, he still picked off five passes and generated a pair of pass breakups to earn First-Team All-ACC honors for the second straight season.

Choosing to sit out Miami's bowl game, Kinchens opted to forgo his final year of eligibility and declared for the 2024 NFL Draft. Thanks to new rules permitting underclassmen to participate in the Senior Bowl, he showcased his talents with a strong week in Mobile in late January.

Heading into the NFL, despite his impressive production and versatility playing both safety spots, Kinchens doesn't come without questions. He didn't test near as well as expected at the NFL combine in March, running a slow 4.65 40-yard dash and jumping only 110 inches in the broad jump, receiving an ugly 2.39 Relative Athletic Score on a scale of 10.

Those poor testing numbers could push Kinchens down into day two or even potentially day three, but based on his tape, the Seahawks clearly have interest in the well-rounded prospect. Offering ample experience as a single-high safety, split safety, and box safety and rare ball skills, he could be a potential target for new coach Mike Macdonald and general manager John Schneider as early as the 81st overall selection in the third round if available.

If added to the mix later this month, Kinchens would be thrust into the competition right away against newcomers Rayshawn Jenkins and K'Von Wallace, who signed with Seattle in free agency last month. With Wallace and Pro Bowler Julian Love each slated to become free agents next spring, his arrival could set a succession plan in place with him being a potential long-term starter at either safety spot.