2022 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Darian Kinnard

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Darian Kinnard, 6-4/324 Offensive Tackle Kentucky

Darian Kinnard Scouting Report
By Charlie Campbell

Strengths:

Thick build

Strong upper body

Reliable pass protector

Long arms – 35.63 inches

Has quick enough feet for RT

Recoverability; can stop rushes after initial move upfield

Strength to sustain blocks

Athletic for his size

Gets a push as a run blocker

Twists and manipulates blockers

Strong hands

Physical

Fighter; physical demeanor

Blocks with a mean streak

Punishes defenders

Lots of experience

Ready to compete

Weaknesses:

Feet can get crossed up

Feet keep him at RT, or move to guard in NFL

Will bend at the waist

Can lunge after defenders

Loses balance sometimes late in plays

Slight stiffness that makes him more of a RT

Has some technique that needs to be cleaned up

Lacks good intangibles

Struggles with coaching

Summary: Over the past few years, Kentucky has produced a lot go tough offensive linemen for the NFL. While they may not have elite skill sets, they have been coached well on the fundamentals and all bring a gritty, nasty streak to the point of attack. Kinnard broke into the Wildcats’ starting lineup in 2019 and opened up a lot of holes for running quarterback Lynn Bowden. Kinnard continued to play well in 2020, and he was even better as a senior in 2021. Kinnard lost weight after 2020 and had an excellent final season helping to open holes for Chris Rodriguez while protecting quarterback Will Levis.

Kinnard is a reliable contributor in the ground game where his strong upper body helps him tie up defenders. Off the snap, Kinnard has the power and heavy hands to shock defenders and rock them backward. He can bull defenders backward and push them out of their gaps. With a mean streak and tenacity, Kinnard blocks through the whistle and looks to be a bully on the field. On top of being able to get a push, Kinnard is able to twist and manipulate defenders to turn them away or push them out of their gap. Kinnard is a heavy and thick blocker, but he demonstrates surprising quickness and athleticism for a big offensive tackle, showing a better than expected ability to be effective in space. As a run blocker, Kinnard would be a fine fit in either a power-man or a zone scheme.

As a pass blocker, Kinnard has enough quickness and length to thrive on the edge. He uses his upper and lower body strength to hold his ground on bull rushes, with his size helping him to recover well. Thanks in part to his long arms, Kinnard does a nice job of tying up defenders and keeping them from getting anywhere with second efforts. He also has the power and strength to solidly stop rushes after they get some initial penetration upfield, and that gives his quarterback adequate time to get the ball out. Kinnard sustains blocks well, using his strong hands to tie up defenders. Kinnard could have some problems with elite NFL speed rushers, and that is why he is more of a right tackle for the next level.



Kinnard also could move inside as a pro and be a tremendous right guard. That might maximize his skill set at the next level. He also would offer the ability to move to tackle if there was an injury and the line needed to be adjusted.

Kinnard hurt his draft stock after the season at both the Senior Bowl and the NFL Scouting Combine. Sources say Kinnard was not abused in Mobile and was not get dominated by the all-star defensive linemen. On the reps he lost, however, Kinnard was not interested in the coaching points to teach him why he lost that rep and how he could correct his technique. According to sources from multiple teams, not being coachable was a bad impression for Kinnard to give pro evaluators.

Kinnard was also being coached by the Detroit Lions staff that just produced an excellent rookie year for offensive tackle Penei Sewell. Sewell was the youngest player in the NFL in 2021 and had sat out the 2020 college football season. But after some early growing moments, Sewell was superb in the second half of the year starting at left and right tackle for Detroit. The Lions staff also developed guard Jonah Jackson into having his first Pro Bowl season in 2021. Thus, Kinnard had a great opportunity to get coaching points from proven good NFL coaching staff and work on those issues to show technical improvement during pre-draft workouts. Team sources say Kinnard also did not impress in combine interviews.

For the 2022 NFL Draft, Kinnard looks like a second-day pick who could compete quickly as a starting right tackle or guard.



Player Comparison: Morgan Moses. I can see a similar style with Kinnard and Moses. Moses (6-6, 330) was an astute third-round pick by Washington in 2014 and has become a solid right tackle in the NFL. Kinnard is similar in size and skill set. If he stays at right tackle, Kinnard could be a blocker who is comparable to Moses.

2022 NFL Draft Player Previews - Choose Player 2022 NFL Draft Player Previews - Home Adam Anderson, OLB, Georgia Calvin Austin, WR, Memphis Tyler Badie, RB, Missouri Amaré Barno, OLB, Virginia Tech Andrew Booth, CB, Clemson David Bell, WR, Purdue Nik Bonitto, OLB, Oklahoma Jaquan Brisker, S, Penn State Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas Zachary Carter, DE, Florida Leo Chenal, LB, Wisconsin Lewis Cine, S, Georgia Damone Clark, LB, LSU Micheal Clemons, DE, Texas A&M Bryan Cook, S, Cincinnati James Cook, RB, Georgia Yusuf Corker, S, Kentucky Matt Corral, QB, Ole Miss Charles Cross, OT, Mississippi State Nick Cross, S, Maryland Jordan Davis, DT, Georgia Nakobe Dean, LB, Georgia Jahan Dotson, WR, Penn State Greg Dulcich, TE, UCLA Arnold Ebiketie, DE, Penn State Kaiir Elam, CB, Florida Ikem Ekwonu, OT, N.C. State Martin Emerson, CB, Mississippi State Kingsley Enagbare, DE, South Carolina Daniel Faalele, OT, Minnesota Luke Fortner, C, Kentucky Ahmad 'Sauce' Gardner, CB, Cincinnati Luke Goedeke, G, Central Michigan Kyler Gordon, CB, Washington Kenyon Green, G, Texas A&M Breece Hall, RB, Iowa State Logan Hall, DE, Houston Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame Christian Harris, LB, Alabama Daxton Hill, S, Michigan Chasen Hines, G, LSU Sam Howell, QB, North Carolina Aidan Hutchinson, DE, Michigan Ed Ingram, G, LSU Drake Jackson, DE, USC Jermaine Johnson, DE, Florida State Zion Johnson, G, Boston College Travis Jones, DT, Connecticut Kerby Joseph, S, Illinois Cam Jurgens, C, Nebraska George Karlaftis, DE, Purdue Darian Kinnard, OT, Kentucky Charlie Kolar, TE, Iowa State DeMarvin Leal, DT, Texas A&M Isaiah Likely, TE, Coastal Carolina Tyler Linderbaum, C, Iowa Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah Drake London, WR, USC Abraham Lucas, OT, Washington State Boye Mafe, DE, Minnesota Phidarian Mathis, DT, Alabama Trey McBride, TE, Colorado State Roger McCreary, CB, Auburn Trent McDuffie, CB, Washington Verone McKinley, S, Oregon John Metchie, WR, Alabama Skyy Moore, WR, Western Michigan Chad Muma, LB, Wyoming David Ojabo, DE, Michigan Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State Cade Otton, TE, Washington Evan Neal, OT, Alabama Josh Paschal, DE, Kentucky Trevor Penning, OT, Northern Iowa Nick Petit-Frere, OT, Ohio State George Pickens, WR, Georgia Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh Alec Pierce, WR, Cincinnati Dameon Pierce, RB, Florida Jalen Pitre, S, Baylor Brock Purdy, QB, Iowa State Bernhard Raimann, OT, Central Michigan Desmond Ridder, QB, Cincinnati John Ridgeway, DT, Arkansas Brian Robinson, RB, Alabama Wan'Dale Robinson, WR, Kentucky Justyn Ross, WR, Clemson Jeremy Ruckert, TE, Ohio State Jamaree Salyer, G, Georgia Tyler Smith, OT, Tulsa Isaiah Spiller, RB, Texas A&M Derek Stingley, CB, LSU Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE, Oregon Cameron Thomas, DE, San Diego State Tyquan Thornton, WR, Baylor Kenneth Walker, RB, Michigan State Rasheed Walker, OT, Penn State Quay Walker, LB, Georgia Travon Walker, DE, Georgia Christian Watson, WR, North Dakota State Zamir White, RB, Georgia Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama Malik Willis, QB, Liberty Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State Perrion Winfrey, DT, Oklahoma Tariq Woolen, CB, UTSA Devonte Wyatt, DT, Georgia Jalen Wydermyer, TE, Texas A&M

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