Scouting Report: Kamren Kinchens (SAF) - Miami (FL)
Sales Pitch: “Tough hard-nosed safety with plenty of experience. Poor athletic testing and inconsistent coverage has led to a slide for the former top prosect but shows plus instincts and ball skills that give him a shot to be a solid starter.”
Athletic Profile
Height: 5’ 11 1/8”
Weight: 203 lbs
Arm Length: 31 2/8”
Hand Size: 9 5/8
40 Yard Dash: 4.65
10 Yard Split: 1.63
Vertical: 35”
Broad Jump: 9’ 2”
Short Shuttle: N/A
3-Cone: N/A
Age: 21
Relative Athletic Score: 2.42 / 10.00
Statistics
Career: 99 TKL - 5 TFL - 1 SK - 11 INT - 15 PD - 2 FF
2023: 40 TKL - 2.5 TFL - 1 SK - 5 INT - 5 PD - 0 FF
Strengths
Solid size and strength for the position
Instinctual downhill player with good processing skills
Tough hard--nosed player willing to fight through contact
Able to match tight ends up the seam
11 INT in past two years
Brings power behind his pads at catch point
Good communication and awareness in zone coverage
Runs the alley from deep safety with aggression
Plays with proper leverage and pursuit angles
Strength to take on blockers at the point of attack
Stopping power as a tackler in the hole
Weaknesses
Below average athlete
Stiff hips limit his transition ability in coverage
Marginal long speed limits his range
Lacks redirect ability to cover WRs
Arm length limitations will make PBUs in the NFL more difficult
Rounds his breaks when driving out of back pedal
Struggles with control coming downhill as a tackler
Summary
Kamren Kinchens is a tough aggressive safety with plus instincts and ball skills. The former 4-Star from Florida was tabbed early on to be the next great safety prospect, becoming a starter during his freshman year and an All-American by his sophomore season. Kinchens has solid size for the position and plays with an aggressive downhill attitude. He is a plus player in run defense, running the alley with speed and aggression, bringing power behind his pads. He takes good pursuit angles, using proper leverage to limit ball carriers yards. He has the strength and contact balance to take on blockers at the point of attack and hold his ground. In coverage Kinchens is at his best when allowed to roam free and attack. He has excellent instincts in space with quick click and close ability to drive on balls in front of him. He displays a good understanding of zone coverages and the route recognition skills to quickly take away throwing windows. Kinchens has been extremely productive when making plays on the ball the past two years, snagging 11 interceptions in that time span. He has a nose for being around the ball and the body control to adjust to throws in his area. When he cannot get hands on the ball he does a good job using his power to separate the receiver from the ball. The biggest concern with Kinchens as a prospect is his lack of athletic ability. He tested extremely poorly during the draft process raising concerns about his bang-bang plays in college turning into losses when he gets to the NFL. Kinchens lacks the top speed (4.65 40-time) to play as a true single-high safety, a role, which given his ball skills would be most fitting. He shows stiffness in his hips when in his backpedal, struggling to redirect when in man coverage and rounding his breaks when in deeper zones. His lack of lateral quickness also shows up as a tackler in space, where he struggles to corral smaller ball carriers. Kinchens, given his athletic limitations, projects best as a box safety with the ability to play the boundary role in two high looks. He will be his most effective in a lurk/robber role where he can utilize his football intelligence and ball skills. He has the toughness and instincts to be a solid starting safety at the next level but if his athletic limitations are too much to overcome he may end up being relegated to just being a special teams star.