After the release of veteran Eddie Jackson, the safety position became much more of a priority for the Chicago Bears this offseason. Kamren Kinchens out of the University of Miami (FL) is widely regarded as one of the best safeties entering the upcoming NFL draft, and there’s easy to see some similarities between his game and Jackson’s. Kinchens has been a ball hawk in college. He has 11 interceptions over his last two seasons, two of which he ran back for touchdowns.
One comp I’ve seen for Kinchens is former Illinois standout Sydney Brown, who the Philadelphia Eagles selected in the third round of the 2023 draft. Brown played in 14 games (6 starts) for the Eagles as a rookie in 2023 and was a solid contributor until an ACL injury sidelined him for the year.
Kinchens is projected to get drafted somewhere in the second or potentially third round if he slips and should be a more impactful player than Brown wherever he ends up. He played 638 snaps on defense (355 coverage, 254 on run defense) for the Hurricanes last season and allowed 28 catches on 34 targets. Not one to ever shy away from contact, Kinchens is a hard-hitting player with loads of promise at the position. Let’s take a look at his scouting report.
Safety Kamren Kinchens, University of Miami (6-foot, 205-pounds)
Here’s a look at Kam Kinchens’ NFL.com draft profile courtesy of Lance Zierlein:
Versatile Day 2 safety prospect with the toughness, instincts and ball skills to handle NFL work no matter where a team aligns him. Kinchens is a willing run supporter near the box, hits with message-sending purpose over the middle and plays with outstanding range as a high safety. Despite the positive tape and attributes at his disposal, he made mistakes in run support and coverage that led to big plays and, in some cases, touchdowns. If he can eliminate the mental mistakes and take better angles to the ball as an open-field tackler, Kinchens should become a good NFL starter capable of creating turnovers.
Kamren Kinchens Film:
Strengths:
-Kinchens is an excellent athlete who can play equally well in man and zone coverages.
-He has great closing speed. I watched some plays where he was initially fooled coming off the line only to recover largely due to his ability to turn on the jets. It’s impressive.
-Versatility. He can play both strong and free safety and would be a fit in most defensive schemes.
-Kinchens has solid read and react ability.
-Physical in coverage and against the run. He will never shy away from contact or go out of his way to avoid making a tackle.
-His ball hawking nature should translate to the NFL.
Weaknesses:
-He has a missed tackle rate of 13.7%. He missed 24 tackles over his last two years with the Hurricanes. This isn’t due to lack of aggressiveness as much as overplaying or misjudging opposing running backs and receivers.
-He sometimes will bite and subsequently get beat on play action.
-He could stand to improve his coverage skills. Opposing quarterbacks had a passer rating of 118.4 when targeting him in coverage last season.
Fit for the Bears?
It wouldn’t be at all surprising if the Bears target a safety in the draft, and Kinchens is a solid prospect. He is likely to get drafted towards the end of the first round, or early in the second round. That could be a problem for Chicago, who currently doesn’t own a second rounder. A Justin Fields trade could fix that, though.
With Jackson gone, Kinchens would be a nice rookie addition to pair with Jaquan Brisker. Due to his scheme versatility, Kinchens could slide into the free safety role and continue his ball hawking ways. If the Bears manage to get their hands on a second round pick this year, he’s an option to watch out for.