Xavier McKinney facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Xavier McKinney

McKinney with the New York Giants in 2022
No. 29 – Green Bay Packers
Position:	Safety
Personal information
Born:	(1998-08-08) August 8, 1998 (age 26) Roswell, Georgia, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight:	201 lb (91 kg)
Career information
High school:	Roswell
College:	Alabama (2017–2019)
NFL Draft:	2020 / Round: 2 / Pick: 36
Career history
New York Giants (2020) Green Bay Packers (2024–present)
Roster status:	Active
Career highlights and awards
First-team All-Pro (2024) Pro Bowl (2024) CFP national champion (2017) First-team All-SEC (2019)
Career NFL statistics as of 2024
Total tackles: 367 Sacks: 2.5 Forced fumbles: 2 Fumble recoveries: 3 Pass deflections: 38 Interceptions: 17 Defensive touchdowns: 1
Player stats at PFR

Xavier Avis McKinney (born August 9, 1998) is an American professional football safety for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Alabama, and was selected by the New York Giants in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft.

Early life

McKinney attended Roswell High School in Roswell, Georgia. As a senior, he recorded 82 tackles and seven interceptions. A 4-star safety recruit, McKinney committed to the University of Alabama to play college football.

College career

As a true freshman at Alabama in 2017, McKinney played in 13 games as a backup and special teams player. As a starter in 2018, he had 73 tackles, two interceptions and three sacks. He was named the defensive MVP of the 2018 Orange Bowl. On January 4, 2020, McKinney announced he would skip his senior season and would enter the 2020 NFL draft.

Professional career

NFL draft analysts projected McKinney as a first or mid second round pick. Lance Zierlein and Daniel Jeremiah from NFL.com ranked him as the top safety in the 2020 NFL Draft and the 18th player overall. Former NFL executive Gil Brandt considered him as the second best safety and the 32nd best overall prospect in the entire draft. NFL draft analysts from Pro Football Focus, Sports Illustrated, and USA Today ranked him as the second best safety prospect in the 2020 NFL Draft.

New York Giants

2020

The New York Giants selected McKinney in the second round (36th overall) of the 2020 NFL Draft. He was the first safety drafted in 2020.

On July 27, 2020, the New York Giants signed McKinney to a four-year, $8.39 million contract that includes $6.02 million guaranteed and a signing bonus of $3.22 million. Throughout training camp, McKinney competed against Julian Love to be the starting free safety.

On August 25, 2020, it was reported that McKinney had fractured his foot during practice. The following day, the New York Giants announced that McKinney had underwent surgery after fracturing the fifth metatarsal in his left foot. On September 6, 2020, the New York Giants placed McKinney on injured reserve. He was activated on November 28. He missed the first ten games of the season (Weeks 1–10). On November 23, 2020, the Giants officially listed McKinney as designated to return from injured-reserve.

On November 29, 2020, McKinney made his long-awaited professional regular season debut and made one solo tackle in a 19–17 victory at the Cincinnati Bengals. In Week 14, McKinney earned his first career start, recording four combined tackles (one solo) during a 7–26 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. On December 27, 2020, McKinney collected a season-high seven solo tackles (8 combined) in the Giants' 13–27 loss at the Baltimore Ravens. On January 3, 2021, McKinney recorded a season-high eight combined tackles (four solo) and made his first career interception off a pass by quarterback Andy Dalton that was intended for tight end Dalton Schultz in the end zone with 1:24 remaining in the fourth quarter, clinching a 23–19 victory against the Dallas Cowboys.

He finished his rookie season with a total of 25 combined tackles (14 solo), one tackle for-a-loss, a pass deflection, and an interception in six games and four starts. The New York Giants finished the 2020 NFL season second in the NFC East with a 6–10 record and did not qualify for the playoffs.

2021

McKinney entered training camp as a backup safety as Logan Ryan and Jabrill Peppers were entrenched as the starters. Defensive coordinator Patrick Graham listed McKinney as the backup strong safety to begin the season. On October 17, 2021, McKinney made three solo tackles, a season-high two pass deflections, and tied his career-high with two interceptions thrown by Matthew Stafford and John Wolford as the Giants were defeated by the Los Angeles Rams 38-11. On November 3, 2021, the Giants announced that McKinney was in COVID protocol.

On November 7, 2021, McKinney recorded seven combined tackles (four solo), two pass deflections, two interceptions, and a touchdown in a 23–16 victory at the Las Vegas Raiders. During the third quarter, Derek Carr attempted a pass to wide receiver Hunter Renfrow, but it was picked off by McKinney and returned 41+yards to score the first touchdown of his career. His performance against the Las Vegas Raiders earned him NFC Defensive player of the Week. He finished the 2021 NFL season with a total of 93 combined tackles (59 solo), ten pass deflections, five interceptions, and a touchdown while appearing in all 17 games and starting 16.

2022

On January 11, 2022, the New York Giants announced their decision to fire head coach Joe Judge after they finished the 2021 NFL season with a 13–4 record. He entered training camp projected to be a starter after Logan Ryan and Jabril Peppers both departed during free agency. Defensive coordinator Don Martindale named McKinney the starting free safety to begin the regular season, along with catering safety Julian Love.

During a Giants' Week 9 bye week, McKinney suffered a broken hand in an ATV accident. On November 7, 2022, the New York Giants placed McKinley on the reserve/non-football injury list, which sidelined him for the next seven consecutive games (Weeks 10-16). On December 31, 2022, the New York Giants activated McKinney from the .

2023

McKinney, along with teammate Bobby Okereke, were the only two defenders in the NFL to not miss a snap the entire season.

Green Bay Packers

2024

On March 11, 2024, the Green Bay Packers signed McKinney to a four-year, $67 million contract that includes a signing bonus of $23 million.

In his regular season debut, he recorded an interception early in the first quarter in a 34–29 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. He recorded another pick the following week in his first game at Lambeau Field, a 16–10 win over the Indianapolis Colts. He recorded a third pick the week after at the Tennessee Titans, in a 30–14 win for the Packers. The following week against the Minnesota Vikings, McKinney became the first Packer in history to record a pick in each of his first four games with the team, and just the fourth in NFL history, when he picked off a Sam Darnold pass in the third quarter, joining Ken Lee, Terry Jackson, and Otis Smith. He recorded his fifth consecutive interception in the Packers week 5 matchup against the Rams, becoming the first player since 1970 to record five consecutive interceptions in the first five weeks on a new team. In January 2025, he was named to the 2025 Pro Bowl Games and a first-team All-Pro.

NFL career statistics

Regular season

Postseason