KSR 2022 NFL Draft Profile: Darian Kinnard

We are one week away from the NFL Draft, and things are happening as the biggest non-sporting event on the calendar quickly approaches. Kentucky could have a couple of big days out in Las Vegas.

Josh Paschal and Wan’Dale Robinson were perhaps the two biggest names for Kentucky coming out, but neither had the honors that Darian Kinnard collected during his four seasons with Kentucky. The All-American right tackle might be switching positions in the NFL, but he will still bring high value to an NFL offensive line.

KSR’s draft profile series is rolling on, and now we’re checking in on a member of the Big Blue Wall.

KSR 2022 NFL Draft Profile: Wan’Dale Robinson

KSR 2022 NFL Draft Profile: Josh Paschal

Player: Darian Kinnard

• Height: 6053
• Weight: 328 pounds
• Arm: 35 inches
• Hand: 11 1/4 inches
• Wingspan: 83 1/2 inches
• 40-yard dash: 5.31 seconds
• Broad jump: 8’3″
• Vertical: 25 inches
• 3-cone: 8.11 seconds
• Short shuttle: 4.96 seconds
• Bench press: 20 reps

To say the athletic testing went poorly for Darian Kinnard would be a fair statement. The right tackle posted poor agility and explosion scores to go along with a fine 10-yard shuttle. The numbers get better when compared to guards and that is one of the many reasons why the three-year starter at Kentucky could be headed to another position.

Darian Kinnard is a OT prospect in the 2022 draft class. He scored an unofficial 3.28 RAS at the Combine out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 771 out of 1146 OT from 1987 to 2022. https://t.co/cKN7pbbXwR #RAS via @Mathbomb pic.twitter.com/roceyChbGA

— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) March 5, 2022

College Production

• 2018: 9 games, 2 starts at left tackle, zero penalties, zero sacks allowed
• 2019: 13 games, 13 starts at right tackle, 1 penalty in 706 snaps, zero penalties, zero sacks allowed
• 2020: 11 games, 11 starts at right tackle, third-team All-American, first-team All-SEC, 47 knockdown blocks
• 2021: 13 games, 13 starts at right tackle, consensus All-American, first-team All-SEC, 30 knockdown blocks
• Career: Started 39 consecutive games and was the 12th consensus All-American in program history

Background

Darian Kinnard grew up in Tennessee but moved to Ohio for high school. Playing for powerhouse Cleveland St. Ignatius, Kinnard blew up as a prospect. The four-star recruit was ranked inside the top-250 nationally and was named a U.S. Army All-American. Kinnard received plenty of significant Power Five interest in the class of 2018.

After attending multiple camps in the summer before his junior season, the offers started to roll in for Kinnard. Just before the summer of his senior season, the offensive tackle committed to Kentucky over Penn State, UCLA, and Tennessee with Ohio State showing some major interest.

In 2018, Kinnard emerged as a rotational tackle becoming the first true freshman to contribute on the Big Blue Wall since Landon Young. In the Citrus Bowl victory over Penn State, Kinnard earned the start, and that would remain the same for the rest of his career.

With Young returning from injury in 2019, Kinnard shifted over to right tackle and would start there for three seasons. A mauler in the run game, Kinnard would earn first-team All-SEC honors in both 2019 and 2020. The right tackle was a consensus All-American in 2021 leading Kentucky’s Big Blue Wall to finalist status for the Joe Moore Award in 2021.

Scouting Report

When Darian Kinnard steps off the bus, he looks the part. Standing over 6-foot-5 and checking in at 320-plus pounds with nearly a seven-foot wingspan and very large hands, this appears to be a prototypical offensive tackle. However, there are some concerns.

In pass protection, Kinnard tends to overset and relies too much on his long reach without the use of proper footwork. His punch placement is also off, and the feet do not keep up with the upper half. At the Senior Bowl, Kinnard did not have a great week facing potential draft picks in pass-rush situations. However, he is dynamite in gap scheme run concepts.

Playing with a nasty streak and motor, Kinnard is one of the best drive blockers in this class, and his size comes into play here. Due to this, many think he will be better suited long-term at guard as the run block strengths will be enhanced and the footwork/hand placement issues will be less of an issue in pass protection due to playing in more of a confined space.

However, the size with length will get hard to get by. The senior looks like a tackle and his run blocking traits create a firm starting point. Don’t be surprised if an NFL team wants to see if they can develop some of the weaknesses and make him a tackle at the next level.

Kinnard projects best with a team with a downhill rushing attack. The offensive tackle does not appear to be a great fit in a wide zone scheme that needs some more athleticism in the trenches as winning with angles is more important than creating movement.

Draft Window

Mel Kiper Jr./Todd McShay (ESPN) Mock: 3rd round

Dane Brugler (The Athletic) Grade: 2nd round

Thor Nystrom (NBC) Mock: 3rd round

When the pre-draft process first started, Darian Kinnard had some legitimate draft buzz. The All-American was included in some first-round mocks and had a lot of eyes on him at the Senior Bowl. However, things just did not go well.

The testing numbers were below average at the combine, and Kinnard struggled in pass protection at the Senior Bowl. Therefore, Kinnard’s stock has slipped, and a consensus is starting to form that the right tackle will go off the board in round three.

However, the tape is the tape, and there are some dominating moments in multiple seasons. Due to a highly productive career and NFL teams being desperate for tackles, don’t be surprised if Kinnard goes earlier than expected if a franchise truly believes they can develop the prospect in pass protection while leaning into his run blocking traits.