2020 NFL Draft: Huge trades shake up two-round mock draft
Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. S/DB. Alabama. Xavier McKinney. 17. player. 123
If the Dallas Cowboys end up losing Byron Jones in free agency, there may not be a more suitable replacement than Xavier McKinney.
Jones may be a necessary loss this offseason for the Cowboys to keep their offensive core plus Robert Quinn in place, but lucky for them there are a lot of players in this draft who can help as well as some possible bargains on the free agent market.
Xavier McKinney is so much more than ‘just’ a safety. He’s got range to play on the back end effectively enough, but perhaps not quite as well as Grant Delpit. With that said, McKinney is an absolute beast in the box and he can play man coverage in the nickel role, blitz, and affect plays in a variety of ways.
Although he doesn’t seem to project as an outside corner like Jones can, McKinney is a versatile safey/nickel/dime linebacker type of player who will have a significant impact at the next level.