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It doesn’t hurt to know a two-time Super Bowl champion, does it?
New York Giants safety Xavier McKinney is preparing for the upcoming season by training with former teammate and fellow defensive back, Logan Ryan. The information was revealed when Ryan himself tweeted a set of pictures of the duo together.
McKinney, 22, was drafted 36th overall by the Giants in 2020, the same year Logan Ryan signed a contract with the club. In his rookie season, McKinney played in just six games, while Ryan played in all 16. Last season, however, Ryan played in 15 while McKinney saw his role elevated, playing in all 17 games.
Ryan, 31, won two Super Bowls with the New England Patriots prior to joining the Tennessee Titans and then the Giants. In his first year with Big Blue, Ryan switched positions from cornerback to free safety. He described the move as a basic business decision. “I didn’t move to safety because I didn’t think I could play corner or star anymore. I feel like I had a really good year in Tennessee in the slot [in 2019],” Ryan said. “I moved because I feel like that’s where the money is going to in the sport.”
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The move paid off as he recorded an interception, forced three fumbles, recovered two, and picked up 94 total tackles in his first year with New York. Prior to the 2021 season, Ryan re-upped with the team, this time signing a three-year, $31 million contract, but was unceremoniously released after just one season. Interestingly enough, the decision was not a cap-related one, but simply a decision by the front office to move on from the player in the wake of Joe Judge and Dave Gettleman being dismissed. Ryan admitted to taking the decision personally but ultimately attributed the move to new management himself. The veteran has since signed on with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
McKinney’s Rise With The Giants
While Ryan is gone from the Giants, Xavier McKinney appears to be a future star with the team. Following his rookie season of six games played, the Alabama product recorded five interceptions, a touchdown, and 93 total tackles in his sophomore campaign. His season was of such a level that he was widely called a “Pro Bowl snub” when he didn’t make the team, something he appeared to take in stride. “It’s not the only year that I can make the Pro Bowl. I’ve just got to keep working,” He said. “Get back in the lab and find a way to ensure that next year and years to come that I don’t miss it. It is what it is. Just got to go back to work.”
For this upcoming season, McKinney will have high exceptions as Ryan and James Bradberry were among the veteran members of the defense to exit the team, leaving the 22-year-old as one of the leaders of the unit.
2023 Mock Draft Sees Giants Select Cornerback
Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report recently released a “Way-Too-Early” mock draft for the 2023 season and sees the Giants adding help on the defensive side of the ball. With the ninth pick of Ballentine’s draft, the club selects cornerback Kelee Ringo out of Georgia. “The 6’2″, 205-pound corner has everything NFL teams want in that position,” Ballentine writes. “Teams are going to love his combination of size and speed. The pick-six to seal the National Championship Game is the kind of playmaking the Giants are lacking in the secondary.”
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