The Green Bay Packers’ secondary should improve this season thanks to the addition of Xavier McKinney. The former New York Giants safety can help bolster Green Bay’s defense after they traded Rasul Douglas to the Buffalo Bills last season.
McKinney was a starting safety at Alabama in 2018 and 2019. During his final year in Tuscaloosa, he was named to the All-SEC first team and All-America third team. The Giants drafted him with the 36th pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. He spent the last four seasons with the G-Men before signing with Green Bay.
The biggest impact of signing McKinney is that he and Jaire Alexander have a great relationship off the field, and their bond could make an impact on it. When the Packers signed him, McKinney stated on Instagram that he could not wait to play with his “bro” this upcoming season.
The off-field chemistry between McKinney and Alexander, two All-Pro defensive backs, should benefit them meaningfully during practice and games. They are both really good separately, but they can turn an entire secondary around together.
It’s kind of like the chemistry between quarterbacks and receivers. Think of Joe Montana and Jerry Rice, Tom Brady and Randy Moss, or Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams. Even though they play different positions, they will take each other to the next level by playing together because safeties help corners when they get beat on the route. And because Alexander rarely gets beat, they might shut down an entire side of the field in coverage. Because Alexander and McKinney share a brotherly bond, it should feel like playing in the backyard for them.
McKinney replaces Darnell Savage, who signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Savage was good but not great in Green Bay after the Packers traded up to get him with the (pick) in the 2019 NFL Draft. But he struggled with injuries and had subpar play over the last two seasons. Therefore, McKinney is a massive step up from Savage.
McKinney is a safety who has the intangibles to play cornerback. If an opposing offense runs a spread passing play that requires him to go into single coverage, he can cover a route one-on-one with a slot receiver and make a play on the ball. When a defense plays a cover 1 scheme and requires him to be alone in the middle of the field, he has the intelligence and vision to read where the quarterback is looking and the speed to get to that spot before the ball does.
Jeff Hafley’s scheme is a base 4-3 defense, which will require a single safety to cover the entire width of the field, but McKinney can do that. Still, there will be times when the Packers operate a 3-4 or a 3-3-5 that requires two safeties to be in the secondary. Whenever that happens, it will be interesting to see where Hafley puts McKinney. If he puts McKinney on Alexander’s side, they can essentially shut down an entire side of the field. However, if he puts McKinney on Corey Ballentine’s side and moves Rudy Ford or Jonathan Owens to Alexander’s side, that would balance out the coverage on the field for both sides.
Ultimately, signing Xavier McKinney was the best move Brian Gutekunst could have made to improve the defense. It also should create a symbiotic relationship between Alexander and McKinney because they want to play together. Suppose they ball out this season and have fun doing so together. Then they could be in Green Bay for a long time, and that defense could end up looking scary.
