2024 NFL Draft Summer Spotlight: Miami S Kamren Kinchens

We’ve already kicked off a string of articles highlighting potential safety prospects after we introduced Clemson safety Andrew Mukuba most recently in our Summer Spotlight series. But we’re not done with that position yet as we pose another potential prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft with this edition.

The safety spot is a position of need that will be getting louder sooner than later due to the ages of Buffalo Bills longtime dynamite safety duo Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde. While safety isn’t looked at as a premium position under the current landscape of the NFL, it’s become a key aspect to the identity of the Bills on defense.

The University of Miami was downright bad in 2022 as they missed a bowl game entirely en route to a 5-7 season. But it wasn’t all bad for the ‘Canes who are led by returning safety Kamren Kinchens. He took home first-team All American honors as a true sophomore after a stellar 2022 campaign that was punctuated with 59 tackles and six interceptions.

The stats and accolades look great for Kinchens on the surface, but his film is worth a look to analyze whether he projects as an early round pick in 2024. Let’s jump in and analyze how Kinchens could fit in with the Bills in 2024.

Kamren Kinchens Scouting Report

You would be hard-pressed to find a more well-rounded safety at this point in the 2024 NFL Draft process than Kinchens who has elite coverage ability and athletic gifts to attack the football while also bringing the lumber when he needs to stick ball carriers. Kinchens is undisciplined in some regards and lacks height, but the rising junior looks like a future top-50 draft pick

Positives

• See ball, get ball player with elite ball-hawking ability
• Excellent athlete who can prowl the full length of the field as a post safety
• Physical presence who isn’t afraid to stick his face in the fan on all three levels
• Matchup player who positively stood out consistently on a bad Miami roster
• Short but has a rocked-up frame to withstand contact at the next level

Negatives

• Aggressive but not always sound as a tackler; 14 missed tackles in 2022, according to Pro Football Focus
• On the stubbier side for a likely post safety in the NFL
• Some “risk it for the biscuit” in his game as he’s a player consistently seeking out the game-changing play

Why Kamren Kinchens fits the Bills

It seems hard to believe that the Bills could fall into a replacement for a center fielder with the natural ball skills that veteran Micah Hyde possesses, but that’s exactly the case with a player like Kinchens heading into the 2023 season. In Hyde, the Bills have an entrusted player who quarterbacks know is lurking on the cap of the defense more times than not. Kinchens could be that at the next level. Should he declare, he will be a prospect on the younger side who may be able to step in right away and contribute on the back end. Kinchens is an easy player to love and someone Bills fans may want to get familiar with over the next 10 months.