Rookie Ga’Quincy “Kool-Aid” McKinstry didn’t immediately land in New Orleans’ starting lineup when the Saints selected the cornerback from Alabama in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft. But McKinstry finished the season there and figures to remain in the starting lineup as New Orleans opens a new era under coach Kellen Moore in 2025.
“We’re excited about him,” Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said about McKinstry on Sunday night while attending the Senior Bowl Hall of Fame Class of 2025 induction ceremony. “I thought he had a good first season. And look, it’s always tough when you come from college and you get acclimated to the NFL. It’s a long, long season when you get about halfway through and you’ve already completed what would have been a full college season. I thought it took him a little while to get going. Really excited about where he’s headed. He’s going to have a great opportunity with our team.
“I know the coaches that we have, the new staff that we have, one of the things they talked about was how much they thought of Kool-Aid McKinstry when we hired them, so I know they’re anxious to get working with him.”
In the Saints’ first eight games last season, McKinstry made two starts. The second came in Game 8, a week after cornerback Paulo Adebo suffered a broken leg in a 33-10 loss to the Denver Broncos on Oct. 17.
McKinstry missed the next two games because of a hamstring injury, and during that time, New Orleans traded cornerback Marshon Lattimore to the Washington Commanders. When McKinstry returned, he started New Orleans’ remaining seven games and played 479 of his season total of 680 defensive snaps.
McKinstry was among the nine rookie cornerbacks who played at least that many snaps in 2024. He and the Baltimore Ravens’ Nate Wiggins were the only rookie cornerbacks last season to face at least 60 passes and hold opposing quarterbacks to a completion rate of less than 55 percent and two or fewer touchdown passes.
New Orleans’ 5-12 record in 2024 ranked as its worst since the Saints went 3-13 in 2005. In 2006, New Orleans hired Sean Payton as their coach, and he took the team to its only Super Bowl during his 15 seasons with the Saints.
Moore comes aboard after serving as the offensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles’ NFL championship season. Former Los Angeles Chargers head coach Brandon Staley is New Orleans’ new defensive coordinator.
McKinstry’s position coach is Grady Brown, whose career has included stops at his alma mater of Alabama A&M as well as Alabama State and Birmingham-Southern.
Brown was a standout at Wenonah High School.
Before he earned All-American recognition from The Associated Press and The Sporting News in 2023 at Alabama, McKinstry was the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s Mr. Football and Class 6A Back of the Year while playing for Pinson Valley High School in 2020, when the Indians won their third AHSAA Class 6A championship in four seasons.
The Saints have another former Alabama high school standout on their roster. An All-State selection for Saraland in 2014 and 2015, Velus Jones Jr. joined New Orleans via NFL free agency in March.
“Velus is doing a good job,” Loomis said. “… He’s got great speed, so he’s kind of this hybrid runner-receiver, and so I think the challenge for our coaches is going to be getting him in those matchups where we can take advantage of those traits. I know we have the staff to do that.”
Jones was with three NFL teams in 2024. Waived by the Chicago Bears on Oct. 26 during his third season with the team, Jones joined the Jacksonville Jaguars’ practice squad four days later. On Dec. 10, the Carolina Panthers signed the wide receiver for their active roster.
In three games in 2024 – one for the Bears and two for the Panthers – Jones had three rushing attempts for 11 yards and two kickoff returns for 19 yards.
Since entering the NFL as a third-round pick of Chicago in the 2022 draft, Jones has 12 receptions for 135 yards and one touchdown, 20 rushing attempts for 165 yards and one touchdown, 40 kickoffs for a 26.5-yard average and five punt returns for a 7.0-yard average.
