Darian

Kinnard

The Eagles are essentially at full health, so no questionable calls for Thursday’s game. McKee will be the emergency third quarterback for the contest behind Jalen Hurts and Kenny Pickett.

With other SEC offensive tackles like Alabama’s Evan Neal or Miss States’ Charlie Cross getting a lot of attention in the draft, Kinnard (6'5/345) quietly had the better season. Kinnard finished tops amongst SEC OT in PFF Grade (91.9), Run Blocking Grade (91.8), and Pass Blocking Grade (87.8). As of now, he’s projected as a Day 2 pick, but in a class where he played better than some of the top prospects, he could end up being a great value.

Kinnard (6'5/345) was one of the best offensive lineman in the SEC last year, and the numbers show he’s one of the best to play his position across the conference since 2014. According to Pro Football Focus, Kinnard has posted a career grade of 93.3, which puts him at the top of the list and ahead of the likes of current Cincinnati Bengals offensive tackle La’el Collins.

Kinnard (6'5/345) was quietly one of the best players in the SEC this year, even though the position itself is largely overlooked. According to Pro Football Focus, Kinnard is the only SEC player to post an 85+ grade over the past three seasons. That’s not necessarily surprising, considering Kinnard ranked first among SEC offensive linemen,posting an 81.0 run grade, an 80.9 run-block grade, one quarterback pressure allowed and zero sacks at the beginning of November

Kinnard (6'5/345) and his fellow Kentucky Wildcats didn’t get the outcome they wanted on Saturday as they fell 31-17 to an unranked Mississippi State Bulldogs team. But individually, Kinnard continues to make a name for himself. According to Pro Football Focus, Kinnard ranks first among SEC offensive tackles with an 81.0 run grade, an 80.9 run-block grade, one quarterback pressure allowed and zero sacks.

Kinnard (6'5/345) announced his decision to return to school following the 2020 season, and that appears to have been a fine choice. Kinnard was projected to be a Day 3 selection in this past year’s draft, and is improving his stock not even at the halfway mark of this season. According to PFF, Kinnard is the only offensive tackle in college currently with an 85+ grade in both run blocking and pass blocking this year -- that certainly does something for an opened-up Kentucky offense that looks much more dynamic this year than it has in the past.

This qualifies as huge news for Mark Stoops’ program, as Kinnard (6'5/345) was one of the best offensive linemen in college football this season. The junior tackle started ten of the Wildcats’ 11 games at right tackle, and at season’s end he was named an All-American. Kinnard made two starts at left tackle during his freshman year, but he’s been a fixture on the opposite side ever since. Had he decided to enter the 2021 NFL Draft, Kinnard was projected by some analysts to be a Day 3 selection.

The race fore the top spot wasn’t close, either. Kinnard (6'5/345) earned an 89.2 grade from PFF last season, putting him among the best OL in the country, period. The next-best returning player in the SEC is Tennessee’s Trey Smith, who graded out at a 78.6. Perhaps the best feature of this list for Kentucky fans, however, is that the No.3 and No.4 spots on the list are also Kentucky players. Landon Young and Drake Johnson graded just a smidgen below Smith, who is sure to be an NFL Draft pick in due time.