New York Giants safety Xavier McKinney came into his own this past season thanks, in part, to now-former defensive coordinator Wink Martindale’s system.
The 2020 second-round pick recorded 116 tackles (78 solo, two for a loss), one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, one QB hit, 0.5 sacks, and three interceptions.
Almost all of those marks were career highs.
Most impressively of all, McKinney played 100 percent of the team’s defensive snaps alongside linebacker Bobby Okereke, embodying Brian Daboll’s “smart, tough, and dependable” mantra.
McKinney’s impressive body of work, which did not yield Pro Bowl or All-Pro honors, caught the eyes of those at Pro Football Focus.
PFF recently revealed their 2023 All-Breakout Team and there at safety was McKinney.
McKinney was a capable starter for the first three years of his career with the Giants, but not much more than that. He has always been one of the best tacklers at the position, never earning a tackling grade below 81.0 in his NFL career.
He took his game to new heights in 2023, posting the best coverage grade among safeties (91.2) and an impressive tackling grade (89.1). That resulted in an 87.8 PFF overall grade, placing fourth at the position. He saved his best performance for last, tormenting the Eagles’ offense with two interceptions and three run stops en route to a 95.3 game grade and a 95.5 mark in coverage in Week 18.
After his impressive season, McKinney is looking forward to testing the free agent waters. He isn’t interested in playing on the franchise tag and believes it’s time for the Giants to pay up.
