When the New York Giants took Xavier McKinney in the second round of this year’s draft, many saw him as a steal who should have gone in the first round. McKinney, a safety out of Alabama, can play all over the field.
McKinney is a Swiss Army knife on the defensive side of the ball and can play multiple positions. The versatile second rounder will be a part of a young secondary and hopefully the Giants found themselves a gem.
Former NFL executive and current NFL Network analyst, Charlie Casserly, recently offered high praise for McKinney:
The Giants recently had a second-round safety out of Alabama who ended up working out pretty well. Landon Collins, who the Giants traded up to select in the second round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, had a few great years with the Giants before signing with the Washington Redskins last offseason.
However, the gripe with Collins was always his lack of ability to cover. McKinney seems to be more versatile in that regard.
Leading up to the draft there were plenty of rumors connecting the Giants to Clemson pass rusher Isaiah Simmons before Big Blue went in the opposite direction when they took offensive tackle Andrew Thomas in the first round. Simmons was known as an elite talent that can play all over the defense and many believe the Giants got just as versatile player in McKinney.
As they continue to build their defense, the Giants have a nice pair of safeties for the foreseeable future. As many continue to rave about the Alabama product and proclaim him as a first round talent, McKinney could be a game changer for Big Blue for years to come.
