We don’t have to tell NY Giants fans that the 2021 season was a nightmare. However, despite the team looking horrendous, there were some bright spots. This included the strong play of (at the time) second-year safety Xavier McKinney. The former Alabama standout, and second-round pick, made quite the leap from his days as a rookie.
So, what does McKinney have in store for Year 3 with the G-Men? He’s obviously got loads of potential and people are ready to see him record a Pro-Bowl caliber kind of year. If you ask the team over at Pro Football Focus, there’s no doubt in their minds that McKinney will rise to the occasion. Matter of fact, PFF thinks McKinney will emerge as one of the best DBs in the game.
Expectations are high for NY Giants safety Xavier McKinney
"“The Giants have invested plenty of resources into their secondary on Days 2 and 3 of the draft in recent years, and it shows in their depth,” PFF’s Michael Renner wrote. “This ranking could look a lot different at the year’s end if Xavier McKinney takes a similar leap forward in 2022 as he did in 2021. He went from a 69.2 coverage grade on limited snaps as a rookie to a 78.4 coverage grade last season. Bet on him becoming a top-10 safety sooner rather than later.”"
As a whole, PFF ranked the Giants’ secondary No. 20 in the league. There’s plenty of question marks for the group following the departures of Logan Ryan, Jabrill Peppers and James Bradberry. Having said that, there’s still hope that general manager Joe Schoen will go out and sign a veteran cornerback.
Even if he doesn’t Adoree’ Jackson will look to be the leader of the cornerbacks room, while McKinney will be the go-to safety. McKinney has had quite the start to his career with the Giants, as things really took off for him last fall. The expectation is that he’ll make another leap in 2022. That fact that PFF thinks he can become a top-10 safety in the game really is great to see.
McKinney, who checks in at 6-1, 200 pounds, has all the tools to take his game to the next level this season. New defensive coordinator Wink Martindale will be counting on him to make countless big plays for him from start to finish this year. Giants Nation has strong belief in McKinney to be one of the best players overall in the NFC East. Big things are coming for the playmaker.