It was a surprise that Kamren Kinchens' name was still listed at No. 99 overall in the third round of the 2024 draft. In Miami, he was a ball hawk, collecting 11 passes and returning two for touchdowns in the last two seasons alone.
He also struck out a few times in college and proved to be a great hitter in the secondary when he read ball carriers. Why did he fall so far in the draft? Most likely because of his 4.65 time in the 40-yard dash, but since the Rams are a team that doesn't prioritize testing numbers, they grabbed him.
That decision is already paying off as Kinchens shines in the Rams' secondary. He has three interceptions, one of which was a 103-yard pick-six, giving him a total of 26 tackles and forcing a fumble.
He was elected For his two-interception game in Week 9 and on Sunday, he jumped out again with his third interception. named Team of the Week for Week 11 and named him both Rookie of the Week and Defensive Player of the Week.
The third-round draft pick from Miami had his best game in the NFL to date, posting a PFF grade of 92.6 in Week 11, leading all NFL defensive players. In addition to an interception, he also finished the game with a forced fumble and two defensive stops.
His 92.6 grade was the best of any defensive player in the league and also marked a career high for him in 10 games, which had a major impact on the defense in the Rams' victory over the Patriots.
CAME SAID BALL GAME!
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– Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL)
Sean McVay loves the aggressiveness and ball skills Kinchens has shown so far and believes he will only get better as he gains confidence.
“You might say, ‘What is this guy about? What does the tape tell me this guy is about? He’s competitive,” McVay said. “He's tough. I thought he played well – it felt like yesterday he played at a different tempo to everyone else at times. You could see he didn't flinch at the contact. I thought he made some great tackles in the open field. He's getting more and more understanding. He has great range and great athleticism, but he's becoming more understanding of where I fit into those coverage contours. Where are people trying to attack me? It's another game where he ends up making a game-changing play to end the game. I appreciate that as a young man he made sure to lay down and just let us kneel. I know [Christian] Rozeboom yelled at him, but he's a stallion. I thought he really made his presence felt as the game went on and the confidence continues to grow as he gets more reps.”
Kinchens isn't technically a starter and has only played 33% of the defensive snaps this season, but he looks like a playmaker every time he steps on the field. There have been some expected growing pains, whether it be from penalties, shifting position in coverage or missing tackles, but Kinchens has been outstanding in two of his last three games.
As a third-round pick, he has a chance to be a future star in this league, and any team that gave up on him because of his 40th season will likely regret it.
“He’s getting more and more confident,” McVay added. “He gets a lot of reps in practice. Many of these exercises, performances, and preparations begin to become an in-game reality for these young cats. It’s cool to see.”
