xavier mckinney

New York Giants Secondary Improved Little In 2020 According To PFF

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New York Giants, DeAndre Baker

Going into the 2020 season, one of the most important points for the New York Giants will be improving their play in the secondary.

There were too many times last season when opposing quarterbacks were able to turn bad situations into good ones through picking apart openings in the Giants’ passing defense on second and third downs.

And while play from DeAndre Baker started to improve later in the year, it remains to be seen when Baker will get off the commissioner’s exempt list and return to the team. Even if he does return, it’s debatable if his play will be up to standard.

There’s some decent reasons to not have an optimistic view of the Giants secondary this year. Even if the team did add a big player through the draft in Xavier McKinney.

The Pro Football Focus take on the secondary

Pro Football Focus had their own take on the secondary and in their rankings of each one in the league, the Giants were one of the worst. The team comes in at number 27 on the PFF list. While the list claims James Bradberry will likely see a step up in performance after the move in divisions, it’s not as confident in some of the other players in the secondary.

DeAndre Baker struggled badly as a rookie and was beaten for eight touchdowns in total, though his future is somewhat up in the air, given the reported off-field troubles. Beyond Baker, the Giants would be turning to Sam Beal, who played fewer than 300 snaps last year, or one of either Corey Ballentine, Darnay Holmes, Chris Williamson or Montre Hartage. So, for as much as Baker struggled last year, the prospects of a season without him would not be good.

The article goes on to speak about the team’s lack of depth further by pointing out how Grant Haley, one of the likely contenders for slot corner, didn’t do all that well when targeted last year. Furthermore, Julian Love’s development may end up wasted when Xavier McKinney likely takes over his spot at safety.

Is it really all that bad, though?

Well, a lot of that depends on the unknown. DeAndre Baker wasn’t great last year but the Giants don’t have many other credible options at this point at the number two spot. And we don’t know how Grant Haley will play after getting more experience. Xavier McKinney could make a huge impact as a rookie or could take longer to adjust.

And because of so many unknowns as well as younger players being involved in large roles, it’s hard to say one way or the other if the Giants really are one of the worst secondaries in the NFL.

Did the New York Giants finally land a ball hawk in Xavier McKinney?

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New York Giants, Xavier McKinney

The New York Giants fully believe they have their next top free safety in Xavier McKinney, who they drafted in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft. Coming out of an NFL style defense with Alabama, McKinney brings essential experience and fundamentals from a Nick Saban lead organization.

In 2019, McKinney posted 95 total tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks, three interceptions, and four forced fumbles. Some might say that he is undersized for the position he projects as in the NFL. He blurs the line between free safety and strong safety. I prefer he leans toward ball hawk in the Giants’ secondary.

The New York Giants have plenty of potential to work with

Despite McKinney’s strengths, he has weaknesses to iron out as well. He is an aggressive tackler that aims for turnovers but sometimes hits a little too high. In the NFL, he will need to focus on tackling the legs of opponents. His frame is a little small for a “$ backer” role. I don’t think he can take the constant ground and pound from NFL-level running backs. This position curated by the Arizona Cardinals in 2016 essentially hosts a smaller more agile linebacker that can drop into the box but also cover if need be. McKinney’s size simply doesn’t match up with those expectations.

The Alabama product has impeccable game speed and an astronomically high football IQ. He has great timing on passes and often gets to the point of attack quickly, disrupting catches and targets. I love his ability to burst on routes and his reaction timing attests to that.

While I don’t believe McKinney has the ability to roam in a cover-1 scheme, I believe the Giants will utilize multiple safety looks to give him more help on the boundary.

What to love about McKinney

The most exciting aspect of McKinney is the number of different roles he can play. His versatility makes him a plug and play starter in the NFL, and the Giants desperately need a young face at free safety. Last season, Big Blue had Antoine Bethea starting in the deep half, and his efficiency in coverage was disastrous. He was better playing against the run and sneaking up to the line of scrimmage. McKinney should be a more well-rounded player and offer the upside that Bethea simply didn’t have at his age.

I believe he fits very well in Patrick Graham’s defensive scheme, which utilizes man coverage about 50% of the time. He also blitzes heavily on third downs. With a matchup specific style, McKinney will be given the leniency to move around the defense and attack from different angles. His blend of size, processing power, and range give him a solid foundation to develop and build upon.

 

New York Giants Heading Into 2020 With Versatile, Young Secondary

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The New York Giants have built up their defensive secondary in the past few years. The Giants have invested numerous assets into their secondary, both through the NFL Draft and free agency. New York has added a lot of young, talented players to their defensive secondary. But the best part about all of these players is how extraordinarily versatile they are.

Maximum Versatility

The Giants’ secondary will be versatile in 2020. Head coach Joe Judge emphasized versatility in his introductory press conference and he has just the right group of guys in the secondary to fit that mold. James Bradberry, Xavier McKinney, Jabrill Peppers, Darnay Holmes, and Julian Love are all young, versatile talents that will help the defense succeed next season.

Xavier McKinney

According to Pro Football Focus, Xavier McKinney played everywhere for Alabama — 323 snaps in the box, 227 in the slot, and 271 deep. Many Giants fans had hoped the team would select Isaiah Simmons fourth overall. Simmons was the ultra-versatile linebacker prospect that ended up with the Cardinals. The Giants took Andrew Thomas, passing on Simmons and his versatility, but they were able to land the next best thing in Xavier McKinney in round two.

Darnay Holmes

The Giants’ other exciting draft pick in the secondary, Darnay Holmes, is also a versatile player. Holmes spent his entire collegiate career playing outside cornerback. Entering the NFL this season, Holmes will likely make the transition to the inside and be the team’s nickel cornerback. However, Darnay could compete for the second outside cornerback position. Do not rule him out as an outside cornerback just yet- Darnay has the talents to play both positions.

James Bradberry IV

James Bradberry was another new addition for the Giants’ defense in 2020. Bradberry was a splash signing for New York in free agency and he will serve as the team’s primary cornerback on the outside. But James is another player that has the versatility to play both inside and outside. He rarely played slot cornerback in Carolina, but he was sufficient when lined up there. Another aspect of James’s versatility is his ability to shadow any receiver. Bradberry followed the opposing team’s top receiver in each game with the Panthers. He will likely play a similar role in the Giants’ defense.

21% of James Bradberry’s career coverage snaps have been while aligned against Julio Jones, Michael Thomas, or Mike Evans. James Bradberry also recorded 9 pass-breakups last year, tied for 16th in the NFL. Also 20th in NFL passer rating against (78.9) min of 550 snaps (PFF). Bradberry is also the oldest player in the Giants’ secondary at only 26-years-old.

Jabrill Peppers

Jabrill Peppers displayed his versatility in his first season with the Giants in 2019. Entering the NFL Draft in 2017, Peppers was considered a “Swiss Army Knife.” He truly did it all in college, lining up all over Michigan’s defense and making a significant impact on special teams. Peppers was mainly a box safety with the Giants last season, but he did line up in the slot and at free safety on numerous occasions.

Julian Love

In 2019, rookie defensive back Julian Love was a pleasant surprise on the Giants’ defense. The fourth-round pick was projected as a slot cornerback upon being drafted. However, he ended up converting to the safety position in the NFL. But Love still has his coverage skills from college and could compete for the Giants’ second outside cornerback position in 2020.

Julian Love could potentially line up all over the defense in 2020. He could line up as an outside cornerback, move back into the slot, and continue to play both free and strong safety. Adding Xavier McKinney into the mix with an already strong tandem in Love and Peppers could give the Giants one of the best safety groups in the NFL.

New York Giants: The 3 most important defenders for 2020 and beyond

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New York Giants, James Bradberry, Dexter Lawrence, Xavier McKinney

The New York Giants no longer have room for failure, as the past three years have been disappointing and resulted in a revolving door of head coaches. Since hiring Joe Judge, the team seems to be on a better path, but only the regular season will give us legitimate answers.

This off-season has already been different, as the NFL draft seemed influenced by Judge. He also utilized the rare free agent tender to retain Markus Golden potentially. These small but robust moves can be the difference between success and failure in specific units.

However, the defense still requires plenty of attention and refinement. Judge will be more of a walk around head coach monitoring every unit, leaving his coordinators to do their jobs. New defensive coordinator Patrick Graham will have a lot on his plate in year one. Installing a new defense with many different sets and tendencies can be problematic.

Nonetheless, the defense has several talented players that will hopefully develop an identity moving forward.

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Let’s take a look at the three most important New York Giants defenders:

1.) Dexter Lawrence

Lawrence earns the number one spot simply based on his youth and potential. During his rookie season, the former Clemson stand-out posted 38 combined tackles, nine quarterback hits, and 2.5 sacks over 16 games. His numbers were more efficient than Leonard Williams’, who is currently asking for $18-20 million per season.

Considering Dexter is still on his rookie contract, he represents additional value in the monetary category. His production and statistical efficiency should see an improvement with one year of experience under his belt. He is a building block and staple on defense and will be utilized as such for the foreseeable future.

Several weeks ago, an anonymous general manager and AFC scout told Matt Lombardo of NJ.com that Dexter ranks atop the players on the Giants’ defense.

“It has to be Dexter Lawrence or James Bradberry at this point. Lawrence is a legitimate run-stuffer up the middle, and Bradberry is a dominant cornerback with good size and ball-skills,” the GM said.

“I believe it will eventually be Andrew Thomas, but I can’t give him that title just yet. My choice is Dexter Lawrence. He’s just such a factor in the running game and now has been showing emerging pass-rush ability,” he said.

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New York Giants’ Xavier McKinney says he’s ‘comfortable anywhere’

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New York Giants, Xavier McKinney

The New York Giants got a steal in the second round with one of the best safeties, Xavier McKinney. The Giants’ defense needed a playmaker at safety to help Peppers; they certainly found their guy. What separates Mckinney from others? His ability to be comfortable anywhere on the defense. This is a great sign for the Giants, especially with how this offseason is going. The global pandemic isn’t making it easy for any rookie to meet up with their coaches or members of the defense.

The New York Giants are getting a playmaker with their 2nd round pick

“Well, it’s definitely been different,” the rookie second-round pick told the Giants Huddle podcast. “The big word that I keep hearing is unique. I think our situation has been very unique just because this is the first time something like this has happened. It definitely has been a different experience, but at the same time, I never went through the [normal] experiences before.

This offseason has been everything but normal, doesn’t matter to Xavier Mckinney who has never gone through a normal experience.

“So for me, this is just something that I have to go through as far as my process and all the other rookies. But I think it’s been good overall. It’s a lot of Zoom calls, I’ll tell you that. It’s a lot of calls over the phone, which you can kind of get tired of, at times. But it’s definitely been fun. It’s a different experience and I’ve loved every bit of it.”

Giants’ fans should be thrilled with the way McKinney has approached the offseason. Eventually, the time will come where Mckinney can show the fans what he can do. I think Xavier Mckinney is at his best when he has room to roam. I say this because I want the Giants to give Mckinney the freedom he wants.

In his final season at Alabama, Mckinney played 323 snaps in the box, 227 in the slot, and 271 deep. As the stats show, McKinney was a force in the box, he can help out the Giants’ pass rush tremendously.  Last year, McKinney led Alabamas’ defense with 95 tackles, and also had three sacks as a safety! Hopefully, Joe Judge and Patrick Graham scheme play Mckinney and move him all around the field. Having a guy like Mckinney is huge for the Giants’ defense, he is a complete upgrade over Landon Collins.

The New York Giants will be able to use Xavier McKinney anywhere on defense. Recently, Mckinney has been in touch with his defensive teamates, building good relationships and chemistry. I love seeing this, especially with the circumstances at hand. Most of these players can’t meet up yet, but as soon as they do, they will already of made a connection.

“I’m just ready to go and build that relationship with those guys,” McKinney said. “And actually ready to get on the field and be able to play with all these guys that I’ve seen in the past – like watched on TV. I’m ready to get things going at this point.”

A quote from Nick Saban

“Xavier has a lot of diversity as a player,” Saban said. “He can play man-to-man, he’s got pretty good ball judgment, he’s a good tackler, he’s got a lot of toughness, he’s a very instinctive and effective blitzer. He’s got some burst and acceleration to come off the edge or blitz up the middle and he’s got enough power to take on a blocker if he needs to.

“So he can do just about all the critical factors in terms of what we look for in a safety here. As he got experience, he was smart enough to be able to play multiple positions.”

 

 

New York Giants are leaning on top 3 safeties to set the tone on defense

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New York Giants, Xavier McKinney, Jabrill Peppers

One thing to know about New York Giants‘ defensive coordinator Patrick Graham’s defensive scheme is that he relies heavily on safeties to move up to the line of scrimmage and drop back into deep coverage.

Luckily for Graham, he has a bevy of talented safeties to utilize on his new team. General manager Dave Gettleman made it a priority to bolster the secondary over the past two seasons with youthful foundational players.

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Let’s take a look at three safeties and New York Giants will be leaning on in 2020 and beyond:

1.) Xavier McKinney

The Giants landed McKinney with their second-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft, a place they never thought they’d land such a quality player. Xavier was the highest-rated safety on the board, and him dropping to the second round was a blessing in disguise for a team that has lacked a true field general in the deep half.

McKinney can prowl the secondary looking for deep passes but also move up to the line of scrimmage to rush the passer. His college statistics in 2019 protesters playmaking ability, as he forced four fumbles and recorded three interceptions. To go with his impressive turnover production, he recorded 3.0 sacks, 95 tackles, and recorded one touchdown on a pick-six.

Among SEC defenders, he ranked second with 59 solo tackles, sixth with 95 total tackles, eighth with three interceptions, fifth with 10 passes defended, and first in forced fumbles.

McKinney is bringing incredible versatility and technique to the secondary for the Giants, and at 21 years old, his best years are ahead of him. If he can develop into a consistent player for Big Blue, he can be a staple on defense and a bonafide leader. The team will be relying on him to transform the deep half of the field.

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New York Giants: Where Will The Pass-Rush Come From In 2020?

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New York Giants, Patrick Graham

The New York Giants‘ defense has struggled to pressure opposing quarterbacks in recent seasons. The Giants lack a top edge rusher on their current roster. Markus Golden was a solid contributor in 2019, totaling 10 sacks, but he is not guaranteed to remain with the Giants in 2020. Now, with a new defensive scheme being installed and a new group of defenders added, where will the pass-rush come from in 2020?

Patrick Graham’s Defensive Scheme

The majority of the pass-rush will come from new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham’s scheme. Patrick Graham runs a blitz-heavy, man-to-man defense:

“Graham had a great defensive scheme in place. The two major play calls of the Miami defense were blitzing and man to man coverage. Graham was very clever with his blitzing packages, using a variety of linebacker and defensive back blitzes. In Miami, Graham would also send in delayed blitzes to really disturb an offense. This was not just done in between the gaps; the blitzes came from different spots on the field. The Dolphins Blitzed on 35% of their snaps, 41% on third down (which was the third-most in the league). The Dolphins ran man to man coverage 50% of the time in the 2019 season and would often show blitz and drop back into coverage. This was a great strategy in the Graham defense, keeping opposing offenses on their toes because of the constant blitzing formations.” – Jack Quartararo of Empire Sports Media

With an emphasis on blitzing, Patrick Graham will scheme together the Giants’ pass rush. The Giants’ defense will run many complex blitzes to get after opposing quarterbacks. But who will be executing these blitzes for the Giants?

The Personnel

The Giants do not have a top-tier edge rusher. None of the players on the team’s roster are expected to dominate opposing offensive lines and rack up 15 sacks in a season. However, the team has added some underrated players. These players fit perfectly into Patrick Graham’s scheme and will help him generate a pass rush.

Kyler Fackrell, the former Green Bay Packers edge rusher, was one of the Giants’ key additions in the 2020 offseason. In 2018, with a career-high in snaps, Kyler Fackrell recorded career-highs with 10.5 sacks, 42 combined tackles, 12 tackles for loss, and 18 pressures. In 2019, though, Fackrell saw a huge decrease in playing time, being on the field for only 40% of the team’s snaps. Maybe reuniting with Graham and seeing an increase in playing time will lead to another 10+ sack season from Kyler Fackrell.

The Giants’ new addition in their secondary, safety Xavier McKinney, will also help boost the defense’s pass rush. According to Pro Football Focus, Xavier recorded 21 pressures across 71 pass-rushing snaps in the last two years. He also totaled 3 sacks in each of his last two seasons. McKinney is an excellent pass-rusher from the safety position, making him a perfect fit in Patrick Graham’s blitz-heavy system.

In 2020, the New York Giants will have to implore a pass-rush by committee. The scheme will need to generate pressure to make up for the lack of a top-tier edge rusher on the team. Luckily for Patrick Graham, he has a group of underrated pass rushers at multiple positions that will help him get the job done.

New York Giants: How Xavier McKinney and Oshane Ximines can transform the defense

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New York Giants, Xavier McKinney

The New York Giants have adopted a one-word mantra, that being “youth.” Establishing a foundation of young and hungry players is an essential part of building an NFL roster capable of winning at a high-level. As we saw several years ago with Jerry Reese, spending millions of dollars on overextended veterans can be a short-term fix but ultimately does not promote success in the long run.

While Dave Gettleman hasn’t perfected the art of the rebuild, he has established a young group at multiple positions, including in the secondary, outside linebacker, offensive line, and a quarterback/running back.

This team is completely different than it was just a few with years ago, and that is a great thing considering the bad contracts that were plastered across the board. In addition, Gettleman began to take a different approach toward the draft as the previous regimen focused on skill position players. Some may argue that Saquon Barkley fits the mold of the Reese-era, but spending the fourth overall pick on a left tackle changes the narrative.

There are two players that could transform the defense moving forward, and they follow the youth agenda that Gettleman has instituted since his tenure began in 2018.

Xavier McKinney and Oshane Ximines represent what the Giants’ defense could look like in the future. Fast, versatile, strong, and efficient. Both players have the tangible traits to develop into premium level players in the NFL, but the intangibles also stand out among the rest.

McKinney is a diverse safety that can move up close to the line of scrimmage and drop back into the defensive secondary to act as a ball hawk. He’s a steal at the top of the second round. If the draft hadn’t been so stacked in the first round, McKinney would have easily went earlier. The Giants were blessed with his availability, and they are gaining a surefire tackler, a turnover machine, and an intelligent player to add to their secondary. Now, he must adapt to the NFL game, which promotes a more physical and aggressive style.

Ximines, on the other hand, played in 45% of defensive snaps last year, recording 4.5 sacks and 9 quarterback hits. He didn’t miss a single tackle and showed impressive pass rush moves coming out of a smaller school in Old Dominion.

Oshane displayed an ability to bull-rush, use chops and stab shoulders with strong hands last season. If he can improve upon his already existing pass rush moves, he could establish himself as one of the top options at outside linebacker for the Giants.

In a new defensive scheme, set forth by Patrick Graham, we can expect the pass rush to be schemed to a degree. I anticipate a mesh of 3-4/4-3 base sets with rotating OLBs and delayed blitzes. It’s important to mention Graham played 50% man-coverage last year and blitzed 41% of the time on third-down.

They will also rely heavily on the interior defense to apply pressure in the trenches and collapse the pocket, forcing opposing quarterbacks to move and, hopefully, end up in the grasps of players like Ximines.

New York Giants: Xavier McKinney Will Boost Defense’s Pass-Rush

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New York Giants, Xavier McKinney

The New York Giants are going to make use of a pass-rush by a committee in 2020. The team does not possess an elite edge rusher or game-breaking pass-rusher to make a consistent impact. Rather, New York has some solid rotational rushers and an aggressive, blitz-heavy defensive scheme.

Safeties are not normally thought of as pass-rushers. A safety’s job typically consists of pass coverage and run defense. However, safeties are used occasionally in blitzes. Xavier McKinney is a player that should be used in blitzes often as he has proven to be an excellent pass-rusher from the safety position.

Xavier McKinney As A Blitzer

The Giants’ second-round draft pick, Xavier McKinney, is a talented, versatile safety out of Alabama. McKinney was projected to be a first-round draft pick and the Giants were extremely fortunate to land him in round two.

In his collegiate career, McKinney lined up all over the Alabama defense. Xavier played 323 snaps in the box, 227 in the slot, and 271 deep (PFF). McKinney’s versatile skill set allows him to thrive in coverage and run defense wherever he lines up on the field.

In this clip, McKinney lines up as an edge rusher and gets a clutch strip-sack on 2020’s number one overall pick, Joe Burrow:

This was one of many impressive pass-rushes by Xavier McKinney in college. According to Pro Football Focus, Xavier recorded 21 pressures across 71 pass-rushing snaps in the last two years. He also totaled 3 sacks in each of his last two seasons. This is especially important for the Giants because of the defensive scheme they will be running.

Newly hired defensive coordinator Patrick Graham runs an aggressive defensive scheme filled with blitzes. In 2019, the Dolphins Blitzed on 35% of their snaps, 41% on third down (which was the third-most in the league). Knowing that Xavier McKinney as such an efficient pass-rusher, Patrick Graham will likely send his rookie safety on blitzes early and often in 2020.

Four impressive stats that will have Giants fans excited about Xavier McKinney

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New York Giants, Xavier McKinney

The New York Giants are getting an elite playmaker in Xavier McKinney out of Alabama. As the number one rated safety in the 2020 NFL draft class, the Giants landed him at the top of the second round, an unexpected development that panned out in their favor.

McKinney is a high character player that received glowing reviews from legendary Alabama coach, Nick Saban. McKinney’s toughness and diversity are two positives that Saban mentioned, noting that he played multiple positions in college and has the ability to adapt and react on the move.

Saban said specifically:

“I think Xavier has a lot of diversity as a player,” Saban said. “He can play man-to-man, he’s got pretty good ball judgment, he’s a good tackler, he’s got a lot of toughness, he’s a very instinctive and effective blitzer. He’s got some burst and acceleration to come off the edge or blitz up the middle and he’s got enough power to take on a blocker if he needs to. So he can do just about all the critical factors in terms of what we look for in a safety here. As he got experience, he was smart enough to be able to play multiple positions.

“I think the guy’s got some dog in him. He’s a competitive guy. He’s a playmaker. We have a production point system here that we use, and he was always high on that board because he forces fumbles, shows up in the right place, does a good job of executing. He’s instinctive, he’s a quick reactor, he’s got a burst. He can be a knock-back tackler. So he’s always been a real playmaker for us and it comes in a lot of different ways, but that’s probably his greatest strength – his production.”

The stand-out defender brings a ton of upside to the defense, specifically at the free safety position. The Giants have struggled to contain the long-ball in recent years, and now they have a player who can move up to the line of scrimmage and act as a ball hawk in the secondary.

However, McKinney brings four elite-level stats with him from college:

1.) Solo Tackles

The Giants’ defense has lacked a sure-fire tackler in the backfield, and McKinney brings elite fundamentals in that category. He ranked second overall in the SEC with 59 solo tackles in 2019. Having a player you can trust in the open field is precisely what the Giants have been missing, and he will be an essential factor for them on defense when it comes to containing plays across the middle or speedy-wideouts looking to expose the boundaries.

2.) Total Tackles
McKinney ranked sixth overall in total tackles, compiling 95 last season. If you compare that to his solo tackles, he posted an additional 36 where he helped a teammate take down an offensive player. Not only is he capable of bringing down runners in the open field, but he has great game speed. Often times, the Giants would rely on singular players to make defensive stops, but we should expect McKinney to be around the ball frequently moving forward.
3.) Interceptions
If you remember Curtis Riley and Antoine Bethea, you likely remember how terrible they were in the secondary. Nicknamed, “no angle Riley,” the days of poor free safety play are hopefully over. McKinney ranked eighth in the SEC with three interceptions last season, showing off his ability to create turnovers and help his defense get off the field. Mitigating fatigue is essential in the NFL, and McKinney will help exponentially in that category with his turnover rate.
4.) Fumbles
Speaking of turnovers, McKinney posted for forced fumbles last year with the Crimson Tide. This only attests to his tackling fundamentals and his ability to get to the ball quickly. His timing and punch are excellent, and having a turnover machine in the backfield that can step up and help against the run will be significant. Overall, the Giants are gaining a player that essentially is Isaiah Simmons at the safety position. He can drop back in coverage, move up to the line of scrimmage and rush the passer, cover the slot, and so much more. We should expect defensive coordinator Patrick Graham to utilize him in various different ways, and that should brew excitement within the fanbase.