Browns draft prospect: Miami safety Kamren Kinchens

Next up in our Cleveland Browns draft series is Kamren Kinchens, a 6’0, 205-pound safety who helped lead the Miami Hurricanes to a Pinstripe Bowl appearance in 2023. Kinchens was a four-star recruit out of Miami, Florida, the 48th-ranked prospect in Florida and the 21st-ranked safety in the Nation, according to 247Sports. He committed to the University of Miami in December of 2020.

Once at Miami, Kinchens played in all 12 games as a true freshman, totaling 44 tackles, a tackle for loss, a forced fumble, and four passes defended. The Hurricanes finished the 2021 regular season 7-6 and were elected to face off against the Washington State Cougars in the Sun Bowl. The Hurricanes were forced to withdraw from the Sun Bowl due to over 15 players being in COVID-19 protocol. 

Kinchens played in all 12 games for the Hurricanes in 2022, totaling 59 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, a forced fumble, 12 passes defended, six interceptions, and a defensive touchdown. The Hurricanes finished the 2022 season 5-7 and were eliminated from bowl eligibility. Kinchens was named first-team All-ACC and first-team All-America (AP, Sporting News) for his performance in the field in 2022. 

He played in 10 games in 2023, totaling 59 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, one sack, ten passes defended, five interceptions, and a defensive touchdown. Kinchens was carted off the field in Miami’s Week 2 victory over Texas A&M and would miss two games before returning against Georgia Tech. Miami finished the 2023 season 7-6 and was elected to face off against Rutgers in the Pinstripe Bowl. 

Kinchens was named first-team All-ACC for his efforts throughout the 2023 season. He opted to skip the Pinstripe Bowl and announced he would forego his senior season and declare for the NFL draft on social media in late December.

Kinchens’ noted strengths according to Bleacher Report:

• Fluid athlete with good movement skills. Good coverage skills that show his quick feet and ability to drive on the ball.
• Plays with good awareness and play recognition. Triggers quickly to what he sees and has the ability to read and react to the quarterback's eyes.
• High-motor athlete who flies around the field. Does a great job of closing ground on the ball-carrier.
• Stout defender at the point of attack with tackles and when taking on blocks. Will run through the ball-carrier like a heat-seeking missile.
• Great ball skills. Excels in getting head around to locate the ball and has the hand-eye coordination and body control necessary to attack the ball in the air.

Kinchens’ noted weaknesses: 

• Can be lazy in backpedal at times, with high pad level causing him to round breaks and false step at times.
• Takes poor angles at times in both the run and pass game. Can lead to him falling off tackles in the open field and misplaying routes, putting him in bad positions to play the ball.
• Poor eye discipline may cause him to get caught staring in the backfield, causing him to get out of position.

Kamren Kinchens compared to other 2024 prospects: 

Kamren Kinchens - Miami Hurricanes - 6’0 - 205 lbs 

• 34 Games 
• 162 Total Tackles (99 Solo - 63 Assisted - 5 For Loss)
• 1 Sack
• 26 Passes Defended 
• 11 Interceptions 
• 2 Defensive Touchdowns 
• 2 Forced Fumbles      

Calen Bullock - USC Trojans - 6’3 - 190 lbs 

• 38 Games 
• 151 Total Tackles (96 Solo - 55 Assisted)
• 24 Passes Defended 
• 2 Interceptions 
• 2 Defensive Touchdowns

Tyler Nubin - Minnesota Golden Gophers - 6’2 - 210 lbs 

• 55 Games 
• 207 Total Tackles (143 Solo - 64 Assisted - 4.5 For Loss)
• 2 Sacks
• 24 Passes Defended 
• 13 Interceptions
• 3 Forced Fumbles
• 1 Fumble Recovery 

Javon Bullard - Georgia Bulldogs - 5’11 - 195 lbs 

• 40 Games
• 114 Toalt Tackles (80 Solo - 34 Assisted - 8 For Loss)
• 3.5 Sacks 
• 12 Passes Defended 
• 4 Interceptions 
• 1 Fumble Recovery 

Sione Vaki - Utah Utes - 6’0 - 208 lbs

• 26 Games 
• 92 Total Tackles (71 Solo - 21 Assisted - 12 For Loss)
• 2 Sacks
• 6 Passes Defended 
• 1 Interception 
• 1 Forced Fumble   

While Kinchens’ eye discipline and ability to get correct angles on plays may be areas of concern, his awareness, speed, and play-reading skills,play-reading make him a perfect fit for the Cleveland Browns defense. 

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