Brianna Paciorka / USA TODAY NETWORK

Nick Saban feels Kool-Aid McKinstry is ready to play in the NFL despite him getting drafted later than many expected.

McKinstry was drafted in the second round as the 41st overall pick by the New Orleans Saints. Saban admitted he thought the former Alabama cornerback would ‘move up’ the draft boards after he ran an impressive 40-yard dash time and impressed at the Tide’s Pro Day. The former Alabama coach provided a breakdown of McKinstry during ESPN’s coverage of the draft.

“I just love this guy,” Saban said. “He’s really smart and instinctive and I think that’s why he’s going to be a really, really good player, and probably more ready to play than anybody else.”

Saban dove a little deeper into his belief of McKinstry being more ready to play than other draft-eligible players.

“He understands offense, understands pattern-match, really a fast reactor in the secondary,” said Saban “He ran a good enough time…He’s a good punt-returner as well.”

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