Xavier McKinney- S, Alabama
Why he was the pick at #36- He was the best player available and the Gettleman had a first-round grade on him. The G-Men needed a free safety, and McKinney was successful at Alabama playing in single-high looks. His ability to play all over Patrick Graham’s defense makes him a better fit for the Giants’ multiple scheme than the other safeties in the draft.
The All-American led Nick Saban’s defense in tackles last season, and he excels in coverage as well. PFF graded him highly in coverage during his three seasons for the Tide and compare him to Malcolm Jenkins. Saban isn’t known to sugarcoat player evaluations to NFL coaches, and he would be a trusted source for his former protégé.
How versatile is he? McKinney played over 200 snaps each at deep safety, box safety, and in the slot for Alabama in 2019. His role was similar to Isaiah Simmons. He does not possess the freakish athleticism of Simmons, but he plays with great instincts and has a nose for the football.
An underrated aspect of McKinney’s game is his ability to get after the quarterback. He plays faster than his recorded 40-yard dash time and can close in quickly around the edge. He has surprising strength when taking on blockers.
making light work of the rg here with a push pull tech on someone 100+ more than him lmfao pic.twitter.com/vk9dM1IN57
— alltwentytwo (@alltwentytwo) March 5, 2020
How will he fit in for the 2020 NY Giants? He will start at safety with Jabrill Peppers in the back of the Big Blue defense. McKinney, Peppers, and Julian Love can be interchangeable chess pieces for Graham to use in creative ways. I expect McKinney to be the safety that takes the most snaps covering the deep half of the field.
How do I feel about the pick? I preferred Antoine Winfield Jr. because of his ability to play the deep half of the field. I think Winfield has a higher upside, but he is a greater risk than McKinney because of his size and injury history. I like Xavier McKinney for many of the same reasons I love Isaiah Simmons.
My (too early) grade: A- It is hard to objectively argue that McKinney wasn’t a great pick at #36. The G-Men are lucky he fell and wasn’t able to improve upon his 40-yard dash time at the Alabama pro-day.