Draft season is just around the corner and there is no better time than now to start breaking down NFL prospects. This class is packed with players that will make an impact at the next level. I will cover every one of them from the big dudes in the trenches to the erasers patrolling the secondary. Let’s get started with a prospect from the ACC, Kamren Kinchens for the Miami Hurricanes.
The Background
Kamren Kinchens was a four-star recruit safety from Northwestern High School, in Miami, Florida. He started 12 games for the Bulls as a junior in 2019 and registered 74 total tackles, 34 solo stops, a 45.9% solo rate, and three TFLs, with nine interceptions that he returned for 132 yards. Kinchens would help lead the Bulls to a 5A state championship and was part of a squad that won three consecutive state titles. Unfortunately, his senior season was halted by the pandemic in 2020. Kinchens had several offers from schools such as Auburn, LSU, and Texas A&M but chose to go to Miami after being recruited heavily by Demarcus Van Dyke a close friend of the family and teammate of his father.
As a true freshman for the Miami Hurricanes, Kinchens would play in 12 games making five starts. He would rank fourth on the team with 44 total tackles, with 25 being solo stops, a 56.8% solo rate, with one TFL, one forced fumble, and four PBUs. Kinchens would follow that up with his breakout season at the collegiate level. During his sophomore campaign, he would play and start all 12 games, with totals of 59 tackles, 34 solo stops, 1½ TFLs, one forced fumble, one recovery, six interceptions, one that he returned 99 yards for a touchdown, and 12 PBUs. His 59 tackles led the team while his six interceptions led the ACC and ranked 3rd in the nation earning him All-ACC 1st team and All-American honors.
Last year as a junior, Kinchens earned All-ACC 1st team honors for a second consecutive season after having another big season. He played and started ten games for Miami while recording 59 total tackles, with 40 being solo stops, a 67.7% solo rate, 2½ TFLs, one sack, one fumble recovery, a team-leading five interceptions, one returned for a touchdown, and five PBUs. His five interceptions led the ACC for the second consecutive year and ranked 6th overall in the nation. Kinchens is the first Hurricane since the late-great Sean Taylor, to have double-digit career interceptions and finishes his career ranked in the top ten in team history. He would forgo his senior season and enter the 2024 NFL draft.
Player Breakdown
The first thing that stands out to me about Kinchens is his ball-hawking skills. He has been an impact coverage player from his high school days to college years and that will translate to the pros. He has excellent vision and his ball-tracking skills are second to none in this class. Kinchens has fluid movements and flexibility, elite play processing, with true centerfielder range. Don’t be fooled into thinking he’s only a coverage guy, as he is an explosive downhill attacker who is physical and plays with high energy. His frame is a little smaller (5’11”/203 lbs) than you would like but his film doesn’t lie as to how good he is and can be.
Kinchens didn’t test well at the combine but were not far off from where I thought he would be. He ran a 4.65 sec forty and 1.59 sec 10yd-split with a 35” vertical and 9’2” broad jump. Not elite scores but not as horrible as some will make them. Go watch his tape! He has great instincts and is an eraser on the back end of the defense. Kinchens does need to clean up his angles to the ball and is better in zone than he is in man coverage. He also needs to clean up the mental miscues that he occasionally has. Kinchens will have some issues with speed receivers and backs but will be a top defender against tight ends.
NFL & Fantasy Projection
It almost feels like nitpicking when breaking down Kinchens as far as weaknesses. Some are correctable and some are going to be what they are. With that, I always side with what I see from a player on the field. Some players are just ballers and Kinchens is definitely that. Give me a physical player with instincts, who can cover at a high level and I’ll take that player ten out of ten times. Kinchens isn’t perfect but teams in the market for a safety need to take a close look at what Kinchens can do and bring to their team. I currently have him ranked as the #5 safety in this class, and who boasts top scores in my IDP rookie grading system. His Blue Chip Rating (BCR) of 13.705 ranks 4th, his Big Play Score (BPS) of 1.382 ranks 2nd, and his Coverage Score (CS) of 1.147 ranks 1st among all players at the position.
In the IDP fantasy world, I feel Kinchens is going to be such a steal based on where I think he’s going to get drafted. Like it or not, the NFL Combine has a huge impact on what fantasy managers will remember. Kitchens tested under expectations so I believe that will have a decent on his draft status. I see Kinchens being selected somewhere in the 3rd round of the NFL Draft. That places him in the Top 100 and he’s easily that. So for IDP rookie drafts depending on how many rounds, I’d start looking to take him in the 6th or 7th round if you need safety help. He’s a really good player who’s gonna be productive and play a good while in the league, and on the right team, he could be huge. He’s a throwback to the Ed Reed, and Troy Polumalu days at safety!
Thanks for reading my article. I am a member of the FSWA (Fantasy Sports Writers of America). Follow me on Twitter at @HollywoodTitan, on Facebook on my IDPNation page, on Reddit in the fantasy football IDP sub — I’m user KingTitan1 — and tune in each week and listen to IDP Nation and Devy IDP Grind, the podcasts that I co-host, on several different platforms. Feel free to email or dm me with any questions that you have, as I’m always glad to help fellow IDPers. #IDPNation #IDP #IDPDevy
