Fansided
Fansided

2020 NFL Draft: NFC East rookie class standouts and sleepers

By Kyle Edmond

NFL Rookie Antonio Gibson #14 of the Memphis Tigers, now of the Washington Football Team (Photo by Joe Murphy/Getty Images)
NFL Rookie Antonio Gibson #14 of the Memphis Tigers, now of the Washington Football Team (Photo by Joe Murphy/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
5 of 9
Next
Xavier McKinney, 2020 NFL Rookie, New York Giants
NFL Rookie #15 Xavier McKinney of the Alabama Crimson Tide now of the New York Giants (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

Defensive Back. New York Giants. Xavier McKinney. 36. player. 31.

Sleeper – Xavier McKinney

The safety situation in New York is really just one big question mark heading into the 2020 season. There are three capable players that could all start, but none of them have exhibited consistent ability yet.

Jabrill Peppers has settled a bit with the Giants, but there are still plenty of concerns about his game. The same can be said for Julian Love who was a fourth-round pick in 2019. Then there’s Xavier McKinney, who received first-round consideration but tumbled slightly to the early second round.

Spending three seasons at Alabama, McKinney’s senior season really pushed his name up draft boards leading up to April. He was able to total 95 tackles for the Crimson Tide while being all over the field. McKinney’s stat line saw 5.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, three interceptions, four forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery.

His ability to do so much on the field should contribute to a lot of playing time for the Giants and potentially could provide a stable force at the safety position, something New York is currently lacking heading into the season. Given the players in front of him on the depth chart, any flashes of what could be might be enough to quickly earn him a starting spot.

Home/NFL Draft