Canal Street Chronicles
The New Orleans Saints finally entered the win column with a 26–14 victory over the New York Giants in Week 5 of the 2025 NFL season.
The breakout player from the Saints’ win over the Giants delivered the breakout performance we’ve been patiently waiting for: CB Kool-Aid McKinstry.
New Orleans’ 2024 second-round pick out of Alabama had a rough start to the season in his first year entering as the team’s lead corner after the Saints traded former Pro Bowl CB Marshon Lattimore to the Washington Commanders at last year’s trade deadline.
On Sunday against the Giants, McKinstry finally looked to have regained his mojo, recording four tackles, one stop and a textbook pass breakup in the end zone—plus his first two career interceptions on back-to-back drives. Pro Football Focus gave McKinstry an 82.1 overall grade for his performance, including an 84.6 coverage grade.
McKinstry mentioned that he put in a lot of solo work this week and felt really locked in heading into Sunday’s matchup. He added, “I just want to thank my teammates and coaches for trusting and believing in me.”
Saints HC Kellen Moore also had high praise for his young DB:
“So happy for him. He’s a phenomenal player and deserves everything coming his way.”
Is this the exact outing Kool-Aid McKinstry needed as a confidence builder to set the tone for the remainder of his sophomore season?
