What is the Best Fit for Safety Xavier McKinney if Not the Giants?
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New York Giants safety Xavier McKinney enters free agency after having the best season of his four-year career. After spending his entire career with the Giants, a player having a career-best season in a contract year naturally leads to that player receiving enticing offers from other teams around the league.
McKinney finished this season with a career-high 116 total tackles, over 20 more than his previous career-high. He also finished this season with a career-high 11 passes defended, all of which convinced McKinney that he's one of the top safeties about to hit the market and should be compensated accordingly.
So if McKinney's contract expectations don't align with the Giant's budget, the question is, who might be willing to shell out the big money for his services?
Bleacher Report's Alex Ballentine opined that McKinney could go to a team that employs his first NFL defensive coordinator.
That would be Patrick Graham of the Las Vegas Raiders, whose unit could be looking for an upgrade to Marcus Epps.
Epps didn't necessarily have a bad season. However, he also didn't have an overly impactful one. The Raiders have a new general manager who could use McKinney's skillset and history with their current defensive coordinator. If the Giants and McKinney decide to part ways, the Raiders are a legitimate potential landing spot for the veteran safety.
And given McKinney's versatility, he'd be a natural fit for Graham's scheme.
“The safety’s ability to thrive as the deep defender in multiple schemes means he could fit in with many clubs, but a reunion with Graham in Las Vegas could be mutually beneficial,” Ballentine noted.
Interestingly, McKinney wasn't initially a fan of how Graham deployed him earlier in his career. However, with new head coach Antonio Pierce having a defensive background, perhaps Graham's philosophies have taken on more of what Pierce wants out of the defense.
Before the 2023 season, McKinney's best NFL campaign was with Graham in New York during the 2021 season, in which he recorded a career-high five interceptions to go along with 93 tackles and ten pass breakups.
In Las Vegas, Graham now has a young defense that is a player like McKinney away from being one of the best in the National Football League.
