[The Franchise]

Fifth Round:

#145 - Darrian Kinnard, OT, Kentucky
# 3 rated OG
#52 in the Top 300 list.

BACKGROUND: Darian “D.K.” Kinnard was born in Youngstown, Ohio, before moving to East Tennessee as a toddler to be closer to family. He grew up in Knoxville and spent his freshman year at Dobyns-Bennett High in Kingsport, Tenn. Prior to his sophomore year, Kinnard and his mother (Mandy Headrick) were on the move again and he suggested Ohio because of the football recruiting opportunities. In the summer of 2015, Kinnard transferred to Cleveland’s St. Ignatius High, a private Catholic school with a rich football tradition. A guard in Tennessee, he moved to right tackle as a sophomore with Liam Eichenberg entrenched at left tackle. With Eichenberg off to Notre Dame, Kinnard transitioned to left tackle for his junior and senior seasons. He earned All-State honors in 2017 and was selected to play in the U.S. rmy
All-American game.[124]

A four-star recruit out of high school, Kinnard was the No. 22 ranked offensive tackle in the country and the No. 11 recruit in the state of Ohio (the No. 2 offensive lineman in Ohio behind Jackson Carman). His move to Cleveland to boost his recruitment paid off as he received at least one offer from each of the Power 5 conferences (16 FBS scholarship offers). He had a final four of Kentucky, Penn State, Tennessee and UCLA, committing to the Wildcats. His aunt is the first cousin of musical superstar Dolly Parton. Kinnard accepted his invitation to the 2022 Senior Bowl.

STRENGTHS: Comfortably carries his weight on his long, flexible frame ... does a great job settling his feet to maintain his wide base ... impressive raw power and isn’t shy showing it off ... generates force through his hips and upper half to torque defenders from his path ... displays the grip strength to snatch, lock out and control with his hands ... able to flip his hips to seal run lanes ... anchors down and won’t allow rushers to go through him ... comfortable jabbing with both hands in pass protection ... flashes a nasty temperament to pancake/bury ... durable and started 39 straight games over the last four seasons (2,513 career snaps on offense) ... also has functional experience at left tackle.

WEAKNESSES: Top-heavy and finds his momentum too far out in front as both a run blocker and in pass protection ... lacks discipline in his kickslide and shuffle footwork ... only average range and can be stressed laterally ... inconsistent punch timing ... his wide hands often land outside the defender’s chest ... spends too much time hugging and feeling out his target ... too much body-to-body blocking on his tape for a player with his length ... can do a better job centering on zone blocks ... three false start penalties in 2021 — three more than expected for a senior with his experience ... will let go of blocks early at times and needs to finish through the whistle ... his weight surpassed 370 pounds as an underclassmen and needs to keep his weight in check ... doesn’t have college playing experience at center or guard ... suffered a “small fray” in his meniscus during draft training that may require a scope down the road.

SUMMARY: A three-year starter at Kentucky, Kinnard lined up at right tackle in former offensive coordinator Liam Coen’s zone-based scheme. After starting a pair of games at left tackle as a freshman, he started all 37 games at right tackle the last three seasons for the Wildcats, becoming the 12th Consensus All-American in school history as a senior. Kinnard looks to impose his will early and manhandle everything in his path to create movement at the point of attack. He has the quickness to square half-man rushers, but he relies more on his upper body than lower body to get the job done, which leads to balance issues. Overall, Kinnard’s NFL ceiling will hinge on his ability to refine his sloppy tendencies, but he has the physical tools and bully mentality to be a dominant, scheme-diverse run blocker. Teams are split
between guard and right tackle as his best NFL position.

GRADE: 2nd Round (No. 52 overall)