TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Kool-Aid McKinstry was in the middle of talking about his bond with fellow Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold after their latest - and probably final - workout together at the indoor practice facility.
Then Arnold snuck up behind and jumped on his former teammate’s back. They’re two of the top cornerbacks available in the NFL draft on April, but they made it clear after Wednesday’s Alabama pro day workouts before NFL coaches, executives and scouts that they’re not rivals.
“That’s my brother, man,” McKinstry said told reporters and TV cameras. “We’ve been doing this since we got here. We’re looking at it as if we’re making each other better.”
Arnold even grabbed a mic and proceeded to ask his own questions.
“You pushing me and me pushing you, and the media trying to take the narrative that we’re paired up against each other, but we’re really brothers,” Arnold said. “How do you feel about that?”
Said McKinstry: “You’re my brother. I love you to death. I don’t know why people try to do that.”
PHOTOS: Alabama corners Arnold, McKinstry are highly rated NFL prospects, but they're not rivals
McKinstry didn’t get to participate in drills at the NFL combine after doctors discovered a fracture in his right foot. He ran the 40 at pro day, two days ahead of surgery. McKinstry said recovery is expected to take about a month. His 40 time wasn’t immediately available.
Arnold is projected as an almost surefire first-round draft pick. McKinstry is widely regarded as a potential first-rounder. They went through pro day along with offensive tackle JC Latham - a potential first-rounder - and edge rushers Dallas Turner and Chris Braswell among others.
Turner is considered a potential Top 10 pick for a program that has had first-rounders in a record 15 consecutive drafts under now-retired coach Nick Saban. Braswell, like McKinstry, is trying to work his way into that territory.
They were two of the Southeastern Conference’s top pass rushers. Turner finished tied for the league lead with 10 sacks, and Braswell’s eight sacks was third. Braswell said he wants to show NFL teams “that I can ball, too.”
“We worked well together last year,” he said. “We wreaked havoc on the edge. We always competed to get to the quarterback first. I can play too.”
Latham addressed speculation that his opposite counterpart on the line, left tackle Kadyn Proctor, could be on his way back to Alabama. Proctor transferred to Iowa after his freshman season but Hawkeyes coach Kirk Ferentz said Tuesday that the tackle had said he was leaving.
“We’re the standard,” Latham said of Alabama. “You know, the grass isn’t always greener at other places. So when things happen and you think that it might be better somewhere else, you get to find out the hard way that it’s not. It’s Alabama for a reason.”
Proctor can re-enter the portal on April 15.
Alabama’s pro day wasn’t quite the same scene as last season when quarterback Bryce Young went No. 1 overall and linebacker Will Anderson Jr. was taken two spots later.
The event draw several NFL head coaches, Mike Tomlin of Pittsburgh, Mike McCarthy of Dallas, Antonio Pierce of Las Vegas and Brian Callahan of Tennessee.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.