Getty Giants 2nd-round pick Xavier Mckinney
From Hall of Famer Deion Sanders gushing over 4th-round pick Darnay Holmes at the NFL Combine, to former 3x Super Bowl-winning General Manager, Charley Casserly, pegging Xavier Mckinney as the single best selection in the 2020 NFL Draft. It’s safe to say that the New York Giants’ incoming rookie class has their fair share of truthers.
However, all those high-remarks pale into comparison to the bullish predictions former 7-year NFL vet Bryant McFadden just put on the G-Men’s 2nd-round draft pick.
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McKinney Predicted to Have Unprecedented Rookie Year
CBS Sports’ Bryant McFadden is clearly a fan of Giants rookie Xavier McKinney. In fact, he may be McKinney’s biggest. The former two-time Super Bowl Champion made arguably the biggest bold prediction of this offseason on Monday, proclaiming the G-Men’s new safety would not only win Defensive Rookie of the Year, but will also make the Pro Bowl and an All-Pro team.
My rookie bold prediction for this upcoming season. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen a safety win Defensive Rookie of the Year, Mark Carrier 1990 Chicago Bears. Yes, that streak ends this season. Xavier McKinney. Not only will he win Defensive Rookie of the Year, he will make the Pro Bowl and he will make an All-Pro team. Book it, print the t-shirts right now. Xavier Mckinney, Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Watch out, #NYGiants fans. @mckinney15__ ‘s gonna have a historic year.
McKinney is Ready for the Moment
It doesn’t take long to realize why McKinney has drawn such rave reviews from within NFL circles. On the football field, he was clearly the most well-rounded safety prospect in this year’s draft class. The fact that he lasted until the 36th-overall selection is a true disservice to his high-end, versatile skillset.
Pro Football Focus summed it up perfectly, stating that McKinney, who they had ranked as their 19th-best player on their big board, is “a swiss-army knife perfect for a diverse role in modern defenses.”
Despite the fact that it’s widely recognized that McKinney’s college film and traits would have earned him a spot in nearly any other recent 1st-round, the former Alabama safety isn’t harping on it.
In a recent interaction on Twitter, a fan proclaimed to the Giants safety that he “can’t wait for you [McKinney] to prove 31 other NFL team’s wrong.” While most young players would have likely been ready to let the rest of the league know what a mistake they have just made, the 20-year-old responded in the way that you would come to expect from a wily 10-year vet.
McKinney will have a long way to go to stake claim to even just one of the three lofty predictions McFadden placed on him. However, based on his abilities and character, you’d be hard-pressed to bet against McKinney.