Is Xavier McKinney the Giants’ biggest sleeper?
The New York Giants have many backstories as they head into training camp this summer but one has been gaining more momentum as analysts peruse their roster more closely.
In combing through the many comeback and breakout candidates on that roster many have stumbled on to the revolution that the Giants have a potential superstar in their midst — second-year safety Xavier McKinney.
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McKinney, a first team All-SEC selection in 2019, was projected a a first-round talent in last year’s NFL draft but slipped into the second round where Big Blue grabbed him with the 36th pick. At the time, draft experts called the pick ‘highway robbery.’
Things didn’t quite go according to plan after that, however. McKinney suffered a fractured bone in his foot during training camp and was placed on injure reserve where he remained until after Thanksgiving.
Out of sight, out of mind. McKinney was not missed as Giants were getting stellar play from their other three safeties — Jabrill Peppers, Logan Ryan and Julian Love. When he finally debuted, he was used sparingly in the first three games he was active.
The last three games, he saw extensive action, however. In the Giants’ final two game against Baltimore and Dallas, McKinney had eight total tackles in each game and logged his first NFL interception, but more importantly was the way he handled himself on the field. He looked more like a seasoned veteran than a wide-eyed rookie.
Plays like this gets you excited to watch X McKinney heading into Year 2 pic.twitter.com/NPq5bRhG5t
— The Giant Insider Newspaper & Podcast (@GiantInsider) July 10, 2021
In a recent post highlighting each NFL team’s ‘biggest sleeper’, Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport lists McKinney as the Giants’ candidate.
Among the players listed in this piece, no one was drafted earlier than New York Giants safety Xavier McKinney.
McKinney was one of the highest-ranked safeties in the class of 2020, and the Giants made the former Alabama star the fourth pick in Round 2.
However, his rookie season didn’t live up to the billing. After breaking his foot in the preseason, McKinney landed on injured reserve to start the year. When he finally got on the field in Week 12, the rust was evident. He played in over 80 percent of the Giants’ snaps only once—in Week 17.
Meanwhile, converted cornerback Logan Ryan played well at free safety, creating a quandary for the G-Men in 2021. They have a potential impact defender but nowhere to put him.
Still, more and more NFL teams feature three-safety sets. If McKinney can show he’s 100 percent healthy in 2021, either he or Ryan will likely spend a lot of time in the slot.
McKinney might be a sleeper now, but he won’t be for long.
