6 prospects falling down the Vikings draft board after the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine

Prospect No. 1

Kool-Aid McKinstry - CB (Alabama)

Heading into the 2024 NFL Draft season Kool-Aid McKinstry was viewed by many as the top cornerback in the class and potentially one of the top players overall. He's a battle-tested corner who is sticky in coverage with good size.

The problem with McKinstry is that during the medical testing portion of the Scouting Combine, they found out he has a Jones fracture. This forced him to be unable to work out.

He addressed the media about the injury, stating he would work out at his Pro Day and then have surgery. He also said that following the surgery, the expectation would be that he would be ready for training camp.

This hurts McKinstry for multiple reasons. First, teams are always scared off by injuries during the draft cycle. It's almost as if they feel they'll never recover as historically players' stocks have plummeted if they find any type of injury that can set back their development.

The second issue is that McKinstry was sidelined when players like Quinyon Mitchell, Nate Wiggins, and Terrion Arnold all had fantastic performances. He had to watch their stocks skyrocket while his went the other way. The injury has cost McKinstry some money.

This could be a silver lining for the Vikings. They weren't going to take the talented cornerback at pick No. 11 but now could see him available at pick No. 42, or even lower if the injury flares up again and doesn't allow him to complete that Pro Day workout.