New York Giants get a massive free agency mistake thrown back in their face, and it has nothing to do with Saquon Barkley
The New York Giants had to watch nearly the entire NFL world praise their divisional rival, the Philadelphia Eagles, for how brilliant their signing of Saquon Barkley was. And in turn had to deal with many calling the Giants' choice to let him walk foolish. That story garnered so much airtime that many forget that the […]
The New York Giants had to watch nearly the entire NFL world praise their divisional rival, the Philadelphia Eagles, for how brilliant their signing of Saquon Barkley was. And in turn had to deal with many calling the Giants' choice to let him walk foolish.
That story garnered so much airtime that many forget that the Giants also let another star player walk last season and had to watch him achieve incredible success elsewhere. ESPN's recent ranking, based on a poll of NFL executives, coaches, and scouts, puts into perspective just how big a mistake it was to give up on Xavier McKinney.
Former Giants safety Xavier McKinney earns elite ranking in ESPN's poll of NFL execs, coaches, and scouts
3. Xavier McKinney, Green Bay Packers
McKinney is one of four safeties to appear on every ballot in his career and trailed only Hamilton in first-place votes this year.
Green Bay signed him to a four-year, $68 million contract before the 2024 season, and he validated that faith with the second-most interceptions among all safeties (eight) and a first-team All-Pro bid. McKinney also posted his second straight season with 11 pass deflections.
"Multidimensional traits, high football IQ, range over the top with the ability to play man coverage over slot receivers," an NFL personnel evaluator said. "Has the playmaking element to his game."
McKinney's 11 breakups came on 30 targets, marking a league-high 36.7% ball-hawking rate among players with at least 30 targets. He was very good with the Giants from 2020-23 but turned elite in Green Bay, showing the power of switching to a perennial contender.
"Whoo, that guy's a player — one of the first safeties that can do it all," an NFL coordinator added.
– ESPN's Top 10 safeties via polling NFL execs, coaches, and scouts
McKinney spent the first four years of his career with the Giants, where he started 46 games and logged nine interceptions, 27 pass deflections, and two forced fumbles. Last free agency, at just 24 years old, the Giants made the puzzling decision to allow him to hit the open market. And once he did, multiple teams had significant interest in the talented safety. He ultimately landed with the Green Bay Packers, and I think it's safe to say they have no regrets after watching him dominate in his first season in Green Bay.
He started all 17 games and recorded a career high with eight interceptions. To say he has elite ball skills would be an understatement, as McKinney lives around the ball. He is a true playmaker in the Packers' secondary, and watching his highlights would make anyone question how anyone could allow that type of player to hit free agency, let alone when he was only 24 years old at the time. It's very evident that the Giants recognize they made a mistake, as they attempted to rectify that wrong by signing Jevon Holland this offseason. Holland is a solid player, but I don't think even he can fill the hole left by losing McKinney. To lose both McKinney and Barkley in the same free agency period is nothing short of devastating, and will be a mistake the Giants look back on with regret for a very long time.
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