NY Giants: 5 breakout candidates for defense in 2021

No. 2 Xavier McKinney – S

The Giants knew coming into the 2020 season that they needed help in the secondary. So, they drafted Xavier McKinney from Alabama in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Unfortunately McKinney missed the majority of the season.

But he hit the field in Week 12, and since then McKinney’s shown promise to become everything Dave Gettleman hoped he could be when drafting him.

After getting his feet wet on special teams in Weeks 12 and 13, McKinney started the last four games. And both his production and his percentage of game plan increased with each game.

He recorded four tackles in Week 14 and again in Week 15, then recorded eight tackles in Week 16 and eight more in Week 17. But his game-sealing interception late in the fourth quarter will be the reason fans should get excited to see more.

McKinney proved he has a good nose for the ball, something vital for a safety to thrive. It is easy to forget that he should have had two interceptions in Week 17. Just four minutes into the game, McKinney intercepted a short pass by Andy Dalton, but it was called back due to defensive holding. Further, he also recorded his first pass deflection in that game against the Giants’ in-division rivals.

He finished the year with 25 tackles, one tackle for loss, an interception, and a pass deflection.

He’s also done well in pass coverage. On 13 targets, he’s allowed 12 completions, but for only 96 yards. He hasn’t let up a touchdown, and quarterbacks only average a rating of 65.4 when looking his way.

Xavier McKinney was expected to come into 2020 as an NFL-ready starter. It took a little while to heal up, but once he started playing, fans saw those expectations become reality.

McKinney only got better the more he played in his rookie season. Look for him to continue that trend in 2021.