10 Most Indispensable New York Giants: Is No. 6 Facing a Crossroad?

Xavier McKinney is one of the Giants best defensive players. But as he approaches his contract year, he's also missed a chunk of playing time in two of his first three seasons.

Xavier McKinney, Safety

Height: 6-foot-0 | Weight: 201 lbs.
College: Alabama | NFL Exp: 3 Years
Career Stats: 163 tackles, 16 pass breakups, six interceptions, one forced fumble

During his second year in the league in 2021, New York Giants safety Xavier McKinney shined as he recorded 93 tackles, 10 pass breakups, and five interceptions. The Alabama product’s numbers were among the best at his position, but he failed to earn Pro Bowl honors.

McKinney’s 2021 season translated well during training camp that summer, and he was assigned the green dot for the 2022 season. At just 23 years old, McKinney was essentially the captain of the Giants defense and was a major factor during their eyebrow-raising 6-2 start when he was on the field.

But therein lies the issue with McKinney. He's missed chunks of two of his first three seasons in the league, including 10 games a rookie when he suffered a broken foot late in training camp that year, and eight games last year due to a broken hand suffered in a ATV accident.

While injuries aren't necessarily the player's fault, a big reason why the Giants likely haven't approached McKinney about an extension just yet is not only due to them not having the cash to do so, but more importantly, they want to make sure that McKinney has put his rough times behind him.

Top 10 Indispensable Players

No. 10: Kayvon Thibodeaux | No. 9: Leonard Williams | No. 8 Bobby Okereke

Why He’s Indispensable

The Giants had a bye week after their 6-2 start to the 2022 season. During his week off, McKinney broke a couple of fingers during an ATV accident, which sidelined him until Week 17. New York went 2-5-1 during that stretch, just managing to squeeze into the playoffs without one of their defense's top players.

Besides his versatility in filling multiple roles for defensive coordinator Wink Martindale, McKinney's ability to man the deep part of the field was valuable in helping to curtail the opponent's passing game. With McKinney in the lineup, opponents averaged 208.3 yards via the air; without him, 219.

McKinney can also rush the passer off a blitz, having generated 12 pressures on 57 pass-rush snaps (21 percent pass-rush rate). He can also play up in the box and the slot, and he's a solid tackler, having missed just 14 tackles in over 2,000 career snaps.

That's a lot of value from one player who still has room to grow in all areas of his game. And as we saw last year, when he was out of the lineup, the defense had its share of struggles.

What Happens if He’s Missing?

The Giants have safeties on their roster, but no one has shown himself capable of doing all that McKinney can do. When a team doesn't have a chess piece like McKinney that can be lined up all over the field, running certain personnel packages that that player otherwise powers becomes a challenge.

Final Thoughts

McKinney, who didn't record an interception last season, is to start making more impact plays. Hopefully, a better supporting cast around him will allow him to do just that as he enters his all-important contract year.

If McKinney can shake off the injury woes he's dealt with and continue to ascend as a talent, he'll be among the top priorities to be re-signed next off-season. If not, it's hard to envision him landing the payday his talent might otherwise call for. 

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