by J.T. Toth
Photo courtesy of Canes Warning.
At Draft 412, the NFL draft talk never ends. We will keep you ready for the next set of gridiron stars—from today and all the way until draft night 2024. We will bring you mock drafts, player profiles, individual team needs, and everything else you may need related to the 2024 NFL Draft.
Today’s Spotlight - Miami, Safety, Kam Kinchens
Name- Kam Kinchens
Pos- Safety
Team- Miami, Fl
HT/WT- 6’0” 205 lbs.
Born- 9/29/2002
Home – Miami, FL
He played high school football for Miami Northwestern and the four-star prospect helped lead them to three straight state championships. He selected Miami over Alabama, Florida and Georgia amongst many other offers.
In his freshman season, he saw action in all 12 games, starting the final 5 games and finished 4th on the team in tackles with 44. Last season, Kinchens was named a first-team All-ACC and a first-team All-American after starting all 12 games and leading the Hurricanes in tackles with 59 and his 6 interceptions were tied for 2nd in the FBS. Entering the 2023 season, he was named a preseason 2nd team All-American by Draft 412.
In his first two games in 2023, Kinchens already has 10 tackles and an interception for the Hurricanes.
Kinchens is a solid, compact safety who can cover large areas of the field with smooth acceleration. When the ball is in the air, he becomes a wide receiver with excellent hands and body control to do what it takes to make the pick. He is agile, tough and will accelerate downhill to make a hit as a run stopper. He plays with physicality and can take on blocks of larger players and win one-on-one battles.
On the downside, his aggressiveness can be a deterrent against a smart quarterback who can set him up on play fakes. He does not break down for tackles and instead always looks to lay a big hit on his opponents. He gets tunnel vision early on in route development and sometimes loses the vertical receivers. Kinchens is without a doubt a playmaker, but also a risk taker who can hang the defense out to dry at times.
Taylor Rapp, a 2nd round pick in 2019 out of Washington had a lot of the same qualities going into draft day. A hard hitter known for playmaking in the secondary, Kinchens will be a high draft pick.
Strengths
Playmaker
WR type hands
Willing run stopper
Physical
Weaknesses
Overly aggressive
Angles
Play fakes
Always wants the big hit
Final Analysis
Kamren Kinchens is a playmaking safety who an NFL team will want to pluck early in the draft. The NFL is now a “throw first” league, and teams will value a safety like Kinchens in day one or early day two.
Draft 412 Draft Prediction - Round 1 or 2