The New Orleans Saints were putting the beatdown on the Dallas Cowboys so hard that you might have missed a hidden gem in the middle of it. That would be the rookie cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry. McKinstry was filling in for the injured Marshon Lattimore, and he had himself an excellent game.
Kool-Aid McKinstry Was Unbelievable
Everybody was rightfully worried about how the Saints’ secondary might hold up without Lattimore when facing the Cowboys. After all, they did boast one of the best receivers in the league in CeeDee Lamb. And while Lamb had a few big plays, the Saints did a great job at limiting their opportunities and putting Dallas in difficult situations. McKinstry in particular wound up finishing the game with five tackles and a pass deflection. The numbers don’t immediately jump out at you, but the tape does.
He wasn’t being hidden in coverage schemes; the team wasn’t moving him away from difficult matchups. They played their defense just like they would if Lattimore was on the field and the team didn’t miss a beat. One of the best plays of the night came from McKinstry, as he squared off with Lamb on a one-on-one in the red zone in the fourth quarter. Dak Prescott tossed one up towards Lamb and McKinstry made an excellent play on the ball to knock it away and shut it down. This also happened to be the same play that safety Will Harris flew over and lit up Lamb with an emphatic hit afterward.
The Saints’ Secondary Depth Grows Stronger
McKinstry isn’t going to be starting in every game, but this is a perfect example of the rich getting richer. If there’s one thing that New Orleans does great at, it’s developing their secondary. They have Lattimore, Paulson Adebo, Alontae Taylor, and now McKinstry back there. Any opposing team that wants to throw the football against this group will have their work cut out for them, and we haven’t even mentioned their strong safety and linebacker group either.
At the end of the day, McKinstry could be a star in this league and follow in the footsteps of other great Saints corners when the opportunity arises. Depth is a premier in this league, especially in the secondary, and this group thankfully has that in spades. McKinstry might get another start next week against a tough Philadelphia Eagles offense if Lattimore isn’t able to go. If that happens, it’ll be another chance for him to show the world what he’s made of.