Kool-Aid McKinstry wanted to compete at Pro Day before Jones fracture surgery
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Kool-Aid McKinstry did not participate in any drills at the NFL Scouting Combine last month after doctors discovered he had a Jones fracture in his right foot.
The plan was for McKinstry to take part in Alabama’s Pro Day and then repair the injury, and that was exactly what he did. McKinstry went through defensive back drills with Terrion Arnold and Jaylen Key and ran the 40-yard dash at 4.47 seconds, per the SEC Network.
“It was very important for me to come out here and compete today, just to give my all and show what I’ve got,” McKinstry told reporters after his on-field workout on Wednesday. “That’s what this is for. I know it was just tough for me, just the news I found out at the Combine, but I was still able to show what I’ve got and I feel good about it.”
He said he will undergo surgery on Friday and faces a recovery timeline of roughly a month.
McKinstry played in and started all 14 of Alabama’s games during the 2023 season, marking the second straight year he started every game (13 in 2022). The Birmingham native said the Jones fracture diagnosis surprised him as he described his mindset after learning about it.
“It was just very weird to me because I honestly did not feel any pain in my foot,” McKinstry said. “For me to able to find out that I had the fracture, there’s no telling how long it’s been there, how long I’ve been playing on it. It just was a step, it was a stone there.
“Something I just to step over and continue in my life. God has a plan for me, and I’m following that plan day in and day out. Whatever he pushes my way, I’m ready to handle it.”
Next for McKinstry is the 2024 NFL Draft, where he hopes to hear his name called on Night 1 in Detroit. In NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah’s latest mock draft, McKinstry was projected to the Lions at No. 29 overall, and if scouts and personnel came away impressed with his Pro Day showing, he could solidify himself as a first-round selection next month.
The All-American shared his pitch to NFL teams after working out for them on Wednesday.
“I just feel like I can do it all, whether that’s playing corner, playing in the slot,” McKinstry said. “I can move very well. I’ve got enough speed to guard whoever. Just me and my mentality, how consistent I am as an athlete, how consistent I am in my day-to-day life, it’s just different.”
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