Kinsler was then drafted a third time by the Texas Rangers in the 17th round (496th overall) in 2003 as a shortstop at the urging of area scout Mike Grouse. Grouse liked Kinsler's tools, makeup, desire, and gritty approach. In Grouse's scouting report, he wrote that Kinsler had a great feel for the game, athleticism, solid defensive skills, intensity, and leadership qualities. Grouse knew that Kinsler was probably being underrated by rival scouts who did not know that Kinsler had played with a foot stress fracture while at Missouri, "so really couldn't run like I knew he could. I'd seen him in Wichita the year before, so I knew he was a plus runner. Most people ... didn't know that, so they probably downgraded him. But I knew it, and I wasn't telling anybody." Kinsler, for his part, says: "I thought I was a lot better than a 17th round pick. I thought I belonged in the top 10 rounds." Kinsler nonetheless agreed to sign with the Rangers on his 21st birthday, for $30,000.