xavier mckinney

Projecting The New York Giants’ Top Roster Strengths in 2020

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New York Giants, Darnay Holmes, Julian Love, Jabrill Peppers, DeAndre Baker, Xavier McKinney, Corey Ballentine

The New York Giants have rebuilt their roster over the past couple of seasons. They found their future franchise quarterback, Daniel Jones, in 2019 and revamped their offensive line in 2020. The future is bright for the New York Giants, but the rebuild is not complete. There are some legitimate strengths on their roster but also some glaring weaknesses. Today, I will break down those strengths heading into 2020, and tomorrow I will be back to breakdown those weaknesses.

Running Back

Saquon Barkley is entering his third season in the NFL. The 23-year-old freak athlete out of Penn State is coming off of a thousand-yard rushing season, despite playing in only 13 games. He led the NFL in scrimmage yards as a rookie with 2028 yards. He is arguably the most talented running back in the league and will be playing in a new, run-heavy offensive scheme in 2020.

The hiring of Jason Garrett should be music to Saquon’s ears. Garrett has led one of the NFL’s best rushing attacks over the past decade in Dallas. Jason Garrett and the Dallas Cowboys ran for 2,153 yards last season on 4.8 yards per attempt with 18 rushing touchdowns. The team has rushed for over 1,900 yards in every season since 2016. In 2015 they were 10 yards short of that mark but were coming off of an explosive 2,354 rushings yards in 2014. Expect to see the New York Giants’ offense feature a heavy dosage of run plays with Saquon Barkley and the solid depth behind him in Dion Lewis.

The Defensive Line

Dave Gettleman has invested plenty of assets into the Giants’ defensive line. Reese invested a 2017 second-round draft pick on Dalvin Tomlinson. Dave Gettleman followed that up in 2018, drafting BJ Hill in the third round and RJ McIntosh in the seventh round.

In 2019, Dave Gettleman and the Giants went all-in bolstering the defensive line. They spent a first-round pick on Dexter Lawrence, a seventh-round pick in Chris Slayton, then made the controversial trade for Leonard Williams. Trading for Williams cost a 2020 third-round draft pick and a 2021 fifth-round draft pick. Plus, of course, the $16M+ franchise tag.

Altogether, the Giants have invested seven draft picks and around $20M in their defensive line. But this pricey investment has paid off. The Giants have one of the NFL’s best defensive lines with plenty of young talent that will only get better. Heading into 2020, the defensive line is the strongest positional group on the New York Giants’ roster.

The Secondary

Another positional group that the Giants have invested plenty of assets in recently is their secondary. In 2019, the Giants drafted three defensive backs (four if you count Sam Beal, the supplemental draft selection). The Giants traded up into the first round to draft DeAndre Baker, stole Julian love in the fourth round, and picked Corey Ballentine in the sixth round.

The Giants did lose Janoris Jenkins this year, but they quickly replaced him with James Bradberry. The Gmen signed Bradberry to a lucrative three-year, $43M contract. Bradberry will serve as the Giants’ primary cornerback in 2020 and beyond. The team also found two cornerbacks in the 2020 NFL Draft. Darnay Holmes, their fourth-round pick, could be a day-one starter in the slot. Chris Williamson was also a solid pick in the seventh round.

On the back end, the Giants have Jabrill Peppers, the talented safety acquired in the Odell Beckham Jr. trade. Peppers impressed in 2019 but had his season cut short due to injury. The Giants have also paired another young, talented safety with Peppers. Their second-round pick in 2020, Xavier McKinney, is an uber-versatile, instant-impact player. Combine those two talents with Julian Love mixed in and the Giants have a young trio of safeties to build their defense around for years to come.

New York Giants 2020 Draft Class Ranked In The Top 10

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New York Giants, Darnay Holmes, Julian Love, Jabrill Peppers, DeAndre Baker, Xavier McKinney, Corey Ballentine

The New York Giants haven’t been praised on a lot over the past couple of seasons, but one thing the team has seemingly done right in their rebuild is the 2020 Draft. According to Pro Football Focus, the Giants came away with one of the best ten draft classes out of the 32 teams in the NFL, which is the first time in a while that the Giants have ranked in the top ten of something positive.

The fact that the draft class is praised, however, is not surprising. Rather than try too hard to look outside of the box for a home run pick, the Giants took options that look like surefire bets to make an immediate impact using their top selections. Andrew Thomas is regarded as a good but safe pick and second round selection Xavier McKinney is viewed as a steal – along with cornerback Darnay Holmes, who will be joining a position of need for the Giants in the secondary.

Finding steals was even able to push the Giants into PFF’s top ten draft classes for this year.

10. NEW YORK GIANTS

When we have to go into Day 3 to find the first pick we’d disagree with, the chances are that we liked your draft. That’s exactly the case for the Giants, who got a couple of steals according to the PFF draft board. The good news for Giants fans is that both of these steals impact the passing game defensively. Xavier McKinney ranked 19th on the PFF board heading in but was still available for the Giants at pick 36, while Darnay Holmes was the 86th-ranked player on our board and the Giants stole him at pick 110. While they didn’t have too many other big surpluses, the Giants also didn’t have any picks that we considered large reaches, either.

Interestingly enough, the rival Dallas Cowboys had the top ranked class on the list, which will make things more interesting for sure when the Giants meet the Cowboys two times this season in the division. The NFC East has been a relatively open division over the past couple of years and both rookie classes will have an impact on their team’s chances of competing in it.

The Browns come in at number two on the list, but their presence should be a reminder – despite the Browns routinely making waves for having young players, their team hasn’t been able to do much with them and seriously improve their position. The Giants must avoid falling into the same trap. It’s not just about having the best draft class, after all, but how those players are utilized afterwards.

That lesson is one that Joe Judge should know well as a former member of the Patriots organization.

The New York Giants are building an dynamic pair of safeties to plague opposing offenses

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New York Giants, Xavier McKinney, Jabrill Peppers

The New York Giants are preparing to utilize two dynamic, playmaking safeties on defense in 2020:

The Giants initiated the overhaul of their defense just one year ago when they spent ample draft capital on re-tooling the secondary and trading away Odell Beckham Jr. for the 17th overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft and former first-round pick, Jabrill Peppers. The draft selection ended up being Dexter Lawrence, not to mention Oshane Ximines in the third round. They added three defenders for the price of one standout wide receiver, and so far,, the deal seems to be benefiting the Giants significantly.

However, the defense is far from being elite, but they are making the right decisions to bolster the unit with playmaking individuals. Jabrill Peppers had one of his best seasons in 2019 before missing the remainder of the season with a hip injury.

In 11 games, he posted 76 combined tackles, five tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, five passes offended, and one interception which he took for a touchdown. In five fewer games compared to 2018, Peppers nearly improved in every category. Playing in a strong safety role closer to the line of scrimmage, former defensive coordinator James Battcher was able to maximize his talents and bring the best out of the former Cleveland Brown.

If Peppers can replicate those numbers and build upon them, he can have a fantastic 2020 campaign and prove his worth in blue. As a first-round pick, the Giants have to make a decision on his fifth-year option in the coming days, and I imagine they will extend him considering his relatively cheap price tag.

The Giants didn’t end there, though, as they drafted Xavier McKinney in the second round out of Alabama. Looking more in-depth at McKinney, he seems like a knock off version of Isaiah Simmons with more ball-hawk abilities.

He played over 200 snaps in the box, in the slot position, and at free safety. Miss-matching Peppers and McKinney will be a godsend for new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, who loves to use safeties in his blitz patterns and schemes. Last season in college, McKinney posted three sacks and 5.5 tackles for loss. While his 40-yard dash was a bit slower than expected, his play speed is elite, and he is one of the best tacklers in the draft.

Falling to pick 36 was an easy decision for the Giants, who desperately needed an upgrade at free safety but also received a dynamic playmaker in the process. Pairing both Peppers in McKinney on defense should create Mayhem for opposing offenses trying to decipher who will be playing in the box or dropping into coverage. McKinney also forced four fumbles in 2019, an impressive number that should be considered and is a testament to his tackling technique and fundamentals. He fits the mold perfectly for new head coach Joe Judge, who is looking for players who can fill multiple roles when called upon.

New York Giants Found One Of The Draft’s Best Steals

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New York Giants, Xavier McKinney

With the NFL Draft over, there’s a lot of focus now on which teams are coming out of it in a good state and which ones didn’t do so well. So far, it looks like the Giants may have outperformed expectations by adding a solid first round pick and following it up by acquiring a player or two later that could be considered steals. The most notable of these steals is the second round pick Xavier McKinney, who looks like an immediate starter at safety.

It’s also not just Giants fans that rate the choice highly, but the wider media. Pro Football Focus is often critical, but the site has praised the pick of McKinney and listed him with some of the other top steals in the draft, which peculiarly includes the first overall pick also.

PICK 36 — S XAVIER MCKINNEY, NEW YORK GIANTS

PFF Big Board rank: 19

When you heard the word “versatile” all throughout this draft process, Isaiah Simmons was the first name to come to mind. But another should have, too: Xavier McKinney. There have been only five safeties to play over 450 snaps in the box, slot and at free safety over the past two years, and only one of those five produced 70.0-plus grades at all three of those alignments — Xavier McKinney. Whether he was playing in coverage, rushing the passer or trying to stop the run, McKinney performed at a high level and produced grades above 79.0 in all facets in each of the last two years.

The Giants are getting a player that was on the first All-SEC team in 2019, and picked up his achievements while playing against the best competition in the country. McKinney also fits an immediate need on the team after the departure of Antoine Bethea left a hole in the other safety spot next to Jabrill Peppers.

The team has made decisions worth criticizing in recent years, but it doesn’t look like their draft in 2020 is one of those – especially after getting an immediate starter at safety from the second round.

Meet The New York Giants’ New & Improved 2020 Secondary

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New York Giants, Darnay Holmes, Julian Love, Jabrill Peppers, DeAndre Baker, Xavier McKinney, Corey Ballentine

The New York Giants‘ secondary dealt with peaks and valleys in 2019. There were some big-plays mixed in with plenty of rookie mistakes and persistent struggles against top offenses. New York invested a lot of draft capital into its secondary in 2019 and doubled down this offseason.

The Giants made a big splash-signing at cornerback in free agency. They then followed that up by drafting a potential day-one starter at slot cornerback this past weekend. The New York Giants’ secondary is now loaded with young, versatile talents. The potential is there for the Giants to have one of the best young secondaries in the NFL in 2020.

The Versatile Safeties

Jabrill Peppers, Julian Love, and Xavier McKinney combine to create arguably the most versatile safety group in the NFL. Each of the players in this trio can line up in at least three different positions. Julian Love has played slot cornerback, deep free safety, and in-the-box strong safety. Jabrill Peppers is primarily an in-the-box strong safety but has also played linebacker and deep safety. In college, Xavier McKinney played over 200 snaps at three different positions; 323 snaps in the box, 227 in the slot, and 271 deep (PFF).

Thie trio of versatile safeties will allow Patrick Graham to be very creative with his defense. Having three different safeties that can each play three different positions efficiently will keep opposing offenses guessing. Typically there are only two safeties on the field at a time, but with this trio, Giants fans can expect to see plenty of three-safety looks.

Young, Talented Outside Cornerbacks

The Giants have invested heavily in their secondary over the past two years. They spent a first-round pick on DeAndre Baker last year. Baker struggled for much of his rookie season but seemed to show significant signs of improvement towards the end of the year. In 2020, DeAndre will start on the outside again and hopefully build on a promising finish to the 2019 season.

Starting opposite of Baker as the Giants’ primary cornerback will be newly signed free agent James Bradberry. Bradberry, coming from Carolina, is no stranger to following top-tier receiving talent. Bradberry shadowed the likes of Julio Jones, Mike Evans, and Michael Thomas twice a year as a member of the Panthers. He will instantly join the Giants’ secondary as the best coverage man and take on the most challenging tasks for the defense week to week.

DeAndre Baker and James Bradberry will man the outside cornerback positions. But who will play the slot/nickel cornerback position? There will be a competition to see who gets that starting role but expect to see a rotation in this position.

Nickel Cornerback Competition

Last year, the slot cornerback position was manned by Grant Haley and Corey Ballentine. Haley struggled immensely in coverage but demonstrated impressive open-field tackling. Ballentine, a sixth-round draft pick from 2019, was not ready to perform and struggled considerably. But he showed a lot of promise last preseason, so hopefully, Ballentine can take a step forward and improve in 2020.

The latest addition to the slot cornerback position is 2020 fourth-round pick, Darnay Holmes, out of UCLA. Holmes played on the outside in college, but his limited size will move him into the slot at the professional level. Holmes did try out nickel cornerback at the Senior Bowl this year, and he said he loved it. Analysts pointed out that he excelled in that new role in Mobile.

The Giants have plenty of depth at the slot cornerback position. But who will be the starter at the nickel? As I stated earlier, expect to see rotation. Since day one, Joe Judge has made it clear: players will play to their strengths. They will not be asked to do things at which they are not proficient. These three slot cornerbacks all have different skillsets that can be applied in various ways.

Maximizing Potential Through Rotations

For example, Grant Haley struggles in coverage but is a solid open-field tackler. This is why the Giants can use Haley in goal-line or short-yardage packages. Third-and-goal, fourth-and-two, Grant Haley can go in there and make a clutch tackle to keep the defense short of the line to gain.

On the flip side, in long-yardage situations and obvious passing-downs, Darnay Holmes’s speed and athleticism will come into play. He has the speed to keep up with quicker receivers going deep and the coverage ability to stick with slot receivers on deep-breaking routes.

The Giants’ two-year investment into the secondary is paying off. They have the versatility and flexibility to move their players around and put them in the best situations possible to make an impact. Giants fans should be ecstatic about the foundation that has been laid out for the future of the defense.

The New York Giants had a legendary first three rounds of the 2020 NFL Draft – Here’s why

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New York Giants, Matt Peart

The New York Giants had a phenomenal start to the 2020 NFL Draft, here’s a look into their picks!

Going into the draft, there were plenty of rumors indicating the Giants could select an offensive tackle, trade back, land Isaiah Simmons, or even pick Derrick Brown, Auburn interior defender. Fast forward past the rumors, and Andrew Thomas was Big Blue’s glorious choice, and what he presents extends beyond our first glance.

Thomas is not only a foundational left tackle with elite traits, but the positional value he holds opens up the Giants’ salary cap for the future. He will essentially be on a rookie deal for five years, taking millions of dollars off the cap and giving the Giants freedom to sign elite pass rushers and other luxury additions to aid in reaching the playoffs.

What does Thomas bring to the team?

The former Georgia Bulldog left tackle is a force in the run game and thinkers down in pass protection. His mauler hands and core strength make it incredibly difficult for pass rushers to beat him on bull rush moves. His ability to mirror rushes and stand his ground makes him a quality pick and injection into the tackle spot. He is bit heavy-legged in getting to the second level, but when he does, there’s no stopping him from punishing defenders attempting to make the tackle.

One of my favorite aspects regarding Thomas is his desire for work. You will never see him standing still waiting for the play to unfold — he’s always trying to land a hit and help his team in every way possible.

In the second round, Big Blue secured Xavier McKinney, the No. 1 rated corner in the draft class. The Alabama product falling to the second wrote the story for the Giants, who saw him as an immediate improvement at free safety and a player who can move around the defense to feature in different roles. Defensive coordinator Patrick Graham loves his safety blitzes, and McKinney can be utilized well in his scheme. Expect to see plenty of three-safety looks in 2020 with Jabrill Peppers, McKinney, and Julian Love. This grouping will move around the defense as Peppers and Love can both interchange in FS and SS roles.

McKinney, though, is one of the best tacklers at the position out of the draft, and his game-speed is far more impressive than his dismal 40-yard dash time from the NFL Combine. Expect to see him flying around the field and acting as a ball-hawk/blitzer in specific sets—another fantastic selection by Gettleman and Co. in the second round.

However, in the third round, the Giants landed Matt Peart, who has the potential to be a starting-level tackle in the NFL. This has to be the most underrated selection of the entire class, based solely on his physical traits and ability to jump to the second level in a hurry. Coming out of UConn undoubtedly comes with its developmental set-backs, but Marc Colombo can work his magic with a player like Peart.

If Peart can develop into the Giants’ starting right tackle for the future, this draft could be one for the history books.

 

 

New York Giants: Julian Love Still In Plans After Xavier McKinney Pick

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New York Giants, Julian Love, DeAndre Baker, Julian Love

The New York Giants drafted Xavier McKinney to be their safety of the future, and it looks like that’s what they’re getting out of the rookie from the same college program that not too long ago produced Landon Collins. With Antoine Bethea gone from the safety position it looks like McKinney is going to move right into his former spot next to Jabrill Peppers, which likely dismisses the chances of second year player Julian Love getting the spot instead.

Love was previously the favorite to take up a starting spot at safety, before the Draft changed things by introducing a new player to the competition. Mainly, this was because of Love breaking out in the second half of the 2019 season to get more playing time and impress coaches – he had five starts last season as a rookie, with an interception and 37 tackles and one fumble forced. In addition, five of those tackles were for a loss.

While it looks like McKinney is going to be the starter out of the two, those contributions are still enough for Love to land an important role this season.

“Julian has a great skill set. He can play corner, he can play in the slot and he can play back deep as a safety,” said head coach Joe Judge about the situation, on Friday. “We are going to use him as we need by each game plan. He may be an every-down safety, he may be an-every down corner.”

With safety addressed, it seems like corner is a bigger need for the Giants secondary right now, even if they did find their main man at the spot with James Bradberry.

“Nothing has been decided in terms of positions that will go into a depth chart at this point and nothing has been decided in how we are going to use guys by game plan. That will change week to week. We believe we have enough skillsets that it will give us flexibility within our packages,” continued Judge.

Considering how the Giants under Joe Judge haven’t even acknowledged Daniel Jones as the starter at quarterback yet, it makes sense that the winner of the position battle at safety won’t be announced anytime soon. If there is an official decision made publicly, it will likely be after the Giants are able to get back to training in-person, and the staff is given a chance to work with these new players in a more hands on way.

Grading the New York Giants’ 2020 NFL Draft after day 2

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New York Giants, Andrew Thomas

Taking a look at each New York Giants draft pick and giving them a grade after day 2:

The Giants are one team that has enjoyed a successful 220 NFL draft up to this point. They have fixed several holes of absolute need and incorporated positional value into their decisions. Dave Gettleman and new head coach Joe Judge have knocked it out of the park this year, landing a hopeful franchise left tackle in Andrew Thomas, a versatile safety in Xavier McKinney, and a high upside, developmental tackle in Matt Peart.

Let’s take a look at each player and give them a singular grade after day two of the NFL draft.

1.) Andrew Thomas

Thomas was highly regarded as one of the best left tackle prospects in the NFL draft, considering his strength and ability to hunker down in pass protection. He has one of the highest floors of any prospect, and he can be a pure franchise protector for Daniel Jones’s blindside.

Locking down that spot and adding positional value will help the Giants keep future cap-hits down and have available money for elite pass rushers and playmakers. If you take a look at the Dallas Cowboys, solidifying their offensive line and allocating a first-round pick toward the defense last season has allowed them to double-dip at wide receiver with CeeDee Lamb.

In an ideal world, the Giants will also have that luxury after investing heavily in the offensive line and hopefully finalizing its revolution once and for all. This draft pick was fantastic and deserving of a high-grade, simply based on the fact that he is a plug and play left tackle and will only get better over time.

Grade: A-

2.) Xavier McKinney

McKinney is a versatile and adaptable safety that somehow slipped to the second round for the Giants. At number 36, Gettleman and Judge locked down a position that has plagued the secondary in recent years.

No more Antoine Bethea or Curtis Riley missing tackles and causing issues in coverage. McKinney is not only a quality player, but he is one of the hardest-hitting free safeties in the draft class.

He enters the league with glowing reviews from Alabama coach Nick Saban. Saban and Judge have a personal connection, which is where that recommendation comes into play. Xavier can play all over the defense — free safety, in the slot, in the box, and even rush the passer on specific sets. Defensive coordinator Patrick Graham should have a fantastic time utilizing him and moving him around the field to keep offenses on their toes.

Grade: A

3.) Matt Peart

Many believe Peart is one of the best selections for the Giants up to this point, simply based on his potential. As a third-round pick, there is still plenty of room for development, and he brings a solid foundation to the team. He can still add size, but he was the highest grade player at the Senior Bowl and was reportedly graded higher than any other center on the Giants’ draft board.

He will come in and begin the developmental phase of his game, which will hopefully see him take over at right tackle in 2021. This all but writes the script for Nate Solder and his future with the organization.

If Peart does pan out, the Giants will have walked away with two starting tackles for the foreseeable future. Factor in their rookie deals and the Giants’ cap health will be strong down the road.

Grade: A-

NFL Draft: New York Giants Luck Into Xavier McKinney

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New York Giants, Dave Gettleman

All good things come to those who wait and that applied to the New York Giants on Friday night in Round Two of the 2020 NFL Draft.

The Giants had the 36th overall selection and were intent on obtaining more Day Two draft capital via a trade. They were just about pull the trigger on a deal when one of the most prized players of the draft – Alabama safety Xavier McKinney – fell into their laps.

“The first thing I’ll tell you is we had made up our mind that if Xavier fell to us, we were taking him,” said general manager Dave Gettleman. “So, we did have something. If Xavier had been gone, we did have a team willing to move up and we would’ve moved back. But we felt the value of getting Xavier there was just too good to pass up.”

McKinney was rated on of the nation’s top safeties but tumbled out of the first round due to concerns over his 40 time (4.63) at this year’s NFL Combine. McKinney said he was experiencing cramps on that day. The Giants saw right through that.

“It’s speculation, (but) that’s the only thing we can think of,” Gettleman said when asked if that was the real reason McKinney fell out of Round One. “Very frankly, I’ve said it to our scouts, it’s how fast does a guy play? It’s about how he carries his pads. It’s not what he does in his underwear on a track, it’s play speed. Way back in the day when San Francisco had their unbelievable run and Bill Walsh was running that club, they were not in a scouting combine. They did not care what a guy ran. They talked about play speed all the time. I think it worked pretty well for them. I am a big believer in that, it’s about how fast does a guy play. If it was just about 40-yard dash times, then we would go watch track meets.”

McKinney will be paired by the Giants with Jabrill Peppers, James Bradberry and D’Andre Baker in the starting secondary, a situation that has them salivating a bit.

“You know, it’s kind of funny. Everybody is playing so much 11 and 10 personnel and you’re in sub 55 to 70 percent of the time,” said Gettleman. “You can never have enough DBs. You know, Bradberry is young, he’s 26, I believe, or 25. Jabrill (Peppers) is young. All of these kids we drafted last year and now Xavier this year, we’re putting together, I think, a very talented young group that just has the ability to play football at the NFL level. We’ve just got to get them rolling.”

And roll they will.

 

New York Giants: Xavier McKinney Pick Gains Good Reactions Early On

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New York Giants

The New York Giants are through the first couple rounds of the 2020 NFL Draft, and the verdict is starting to come in on the players they’ve chosen to take. Both picks have gotten a decent reception so far, but the Giants’ second round pick was especially intriguing because the Giants had more directions they could have gone with it. In the end, their decision was to take Alabama safety Xavier McKinney to fill a much needed role.

The pick so far is regarded as a solid one. Antoine Bethea, after all, didn’t return to the Giants after spending the 2019 season with the team and because of that, the Giants have an open hole in the lineup up top next to Jabrill Peppers. There was always a chance for Julian Love to fill that position, but with the second round selection of McKinney, it looks like there will be a competition and Love could move elsewhere.

The narrative is also that the Giants managed to get a player in the second round that could have went in the first. Head coach Joe Judge has been aware of McKinney for longer than just this year, and has experience working with McKinney’s college program.

The Giants have had a problem with defending against deep passing in the last couple of seasons but they get a safety who only allowed three touchdowns in college while in pass defense coverage – the addition is an immediate upgrade over the performance of the aging Bethea, who spent last season in the spot McKinney will likely fill.

All and all, the Giants have snagged a pretty highly rated player in the second round, which is undoubtedly a steal that will help build the team up in Joe Judge’s first season. After taking a somewhat safe prospect in the first round and getting a second round steal, it looks like smooth sailing so far