Giant
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- Mar 19, 2019
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The Giants made Xavier McKinney the first safety to get drafted in 2020 when they snagged him in the second round in April, but they’ve had to wait to see exactly how he’ll fit into defensive coordinator Patrick Graham’s scheme.
McKinney called it “a different experience” to work with his new team remotely over the last few months, but learned enough of what Graham was teaching to know that he likes “everything” about the team’s defensive plans. It’s also taught him to be confident that he can handle any spot that Graham finds for him on defense.
“I’ve always said this and I’ll always keep saying it, my biggest comfort zone is I’m comfortable anywhere,” McKinney said, via the team’s website. “Any zone that I feel like I’m uncomfortable at, I try to make it my comfort zone. But how I play and the way I play, I’m comfortable at any level of the defense. I try not to just pinpoint one thing that I do well. I’m just excited to be ready for wherever the opportunity might be.”
The Giants were awful defensively last season, which was a big reason for their 4-12 record and postseason coaching change. Getting a positive contribution from McKinney out of the gate would be a step toward rectifying that this season.