4 NY Giants players who stood out during opening practices of camp
By Zak Musso
3. Xavier McKinney
During a dreadful 2021 season for the Giants, Xavier McKinney was one of few bright spots, tying for fourth in the NFL with five interceptions, including a memorable pick-six in the Giants upset over the playoff-bound Las Vegas Raiders.
While McKinney broke out a season ago, he seems to still fly under the radar nationally, as indicated by his 81 overall Madden ranking. McKinney, however, is no longer flying under the Giants radar. Martindale made McKinney the defensive signal caller, indicating he is the most important player on the Giants.
It's rare to not have the middle/inside linebacker as the play caller, and if Blake Martinez was on the field in the spring, it'd be interesting to see if he was the green dot.
— Art Stapleton (@art_stapleton) July 29, 2022
But Weddle called the plays for Wink in Baltimore, and McKinney is slated to do that here. https://t.co/MNa2VBpNzU
Martindale even connected McKinney with ex-Ravens legendary safety Eric Weddle to help learn how to be a star safety in a Martindale defense. It is evident that the coaching staff views McKinney as the defensive leader, and boy is it good to see a Giants defense finally containing multiple stars.
McKinney has looked strong at camp and the hope is that things will continue for him. The standout DB is poised to have a huge 2022 campaign for the Giants. People can’t wait to see what he’ll be able to get done.