ESPN analyst names Kam Kinchens NFL Draft sleeper

ESPN College Football and NFL analyst Louis Riddick remains positive on safety Kamren Kinchens despite his poor NFL Combine performance. Kinchens slightly redeemed himself with better numbers at Miami's Pro Day. Kinchens performed at a high level during his college career.

Kinchens finished his Miami career with 162 tackles, five tackles for loss, one sack, two forced fumbles, 26 passes defended, 11 interceptions and two returned for touchdowns. In his final two seasons, Kinchens earned 2022 and 2023 All-ACC, First Team, 2022 First-Team All-American and 2022 All-ACC

Kinchens was a leader on the Miami defense, starting 26 of the 34 games he played over three years with the Hurricanes. Kinchens has fallen precipitously on NFL Draft boards since the NFL Combine. The NFL Mock Draft Database currently lists Kinchens 83rd on their big board. Kinchens was 45th on March 2.

"Kamren Kinchens, S, Miami
Winning the turnover battle is the No. 1 priority for every defensive coordinator in the NFL, and Kinchens will help you do just that. No safety in this class has better instincts and anticipation as a deep-field player, whether that be as a single safety in the middle of the field or in a split-safety structure. He is consistently a step ahead of the quarterback with his understanding of route concepts and ability to read the passer's eyes and shoulder leans. But Kinchens also shows the efficient transition mechanics and closing burst to get into position to make game-changing plays; he came down with 11 interceptions over 2022-23.

And on top of the ball skills, the 5-foot-11, 203-pound safety can make the difficult open-field tackles in one-on-one situations (54 last season) and has shown disruptive blitz ability (26 pressures). His 4.65-second 40 time at the combine wasn't ideal, but I'm not too concerned based on what I see on tape. Kinchens has the potential to be a star."

- Louis Riddick, ESPN

Kinchens is a steady player who also forces turnovers. In 2023, Kinchens was fifth nationally with five interceptions and was third in 2022 with six. The 26 passes defended also show the ability for Kinchens to make plays on the ball. Kinchens football IQ will outweigh his poor NFL combine numbers.

Kinchens improved on his NFL Combine 40-time running a 4.57 at Miami Pro Day. In 2022 Kinchens led Miami in tackles. Kinchens was third on Miami in tackles in 2023 while missing three games. Kinchens proved throughout his Miami tenure his ability to be in the right place to make plays.

In addition to being a playmaker, Kinchens has been the leader of the Miami defense for at least the last two seasons. Kinchens should be a quick learner in the NFL. Starting the final five games of his freshman season in 2021, Kinchens showed the ability to make an impact early in his career by understanding what is expected of him.

Whatever Kinchens is drafted he should be able to adapt to their system. At the very least, Kinchens should be a special teams contributor early in his rookie season. It would be surprising if Kinchens is not a contributor on defense at some point as a rookie. Kinchens play is more indicative of his ability than his NFL Combine numbers.