Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and general manager Omar Khan were at the Alabama pro day on Wednesday to watch offensive tackle J.C. Latham and cornerbacks Kool-Aid McKinstry and Terrion Arnold. Of course, they are not the only players there for the team to watch, as wide receiver Jermaine Burton would remain a solid option in the middle rounds. Like every year, Alabama is loaded with future NFL talent.
In addition to Tomlin and Khan, former Steelers cornerback and current team scout Ike Taylor was also in Tuscaloosa to scout McKinstry and Arnold. Taylor even conducted drills for McKinstry and Arnold during their workouts, as noted by Alex Kozora of Steelers Depot.
McKinstry, who has a fracture in his foot, still tested at his pro day despite not testing at the NFL Combine.
And according to Kyron Samuels, McKinstry put up some fantastic numbers on a bad foot, with a 4.46 40-yard dash and great jump numbers.
The numbers fell anywhere between 4.43 and 4.47 on the ground, which gives McKinstry plenty enough long speed when that was a legitimate question about his game coming into the process.
McKinstry has made a name for himself as one of the more consistent and disruptive cornerbacks in all of college football. In 2022, the sophomore forced 18 incompletions which was second-most among corners in the power-5 according to PFF. His targets were cut in half this past season, as a known commodity that opposing quarterbacks avoided like the plague.
In 2022, Arnold made the switch to cornerback, earning playing time while starting to establish himself as a key piece on Nick Saban’s defense. But in 2023, he blew all expectations out of the water. When the greatest college coach of all time starts putting more responsibility in a particular defensive back, asking him to play inside and out, you know that he’s the real deal. When Arnold speaks, you can tell that he oozes confidence in his ability to thrive in whatever role he’s needed in.
The Steelers acquired cornerback Donte Jackson from Carolina in the Diontae Johnson trade, but cornerback is still a big need in this year’s draft. McKinstry and Arnold could be potential options.
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