The Green Bay Packers were not afraid to spend big in free agency to add the exact piece they needed on defense. Back in March, general manager Brian Gutekunst ok'd a surprising move, giving safety Xavier McKinney a four-year, $67 million deal to sign him from the New York Giants.
The yearly average ($16.75 million) is higher than previous market evaluations would indicate, but the Packers seem to be comfortable because they needed a piece like that.
And this relevant stat showed why Green Bay wanted to sign him so badly. McKinney had the highest catchpoint grade among safeties in the entire NFL in 2023. Better than Antoine Winfield Jr., better than Kyle Hamilton, Jabrill Peppers, Justin Simmons.
That means McKinney is excellent at creating explosive plays, attacking the ball, and getting things harder for opposing players in coverage. He finished the season with a 91.2 coverage grade by PFF in 2023, which is an elite number.
"It's been so nice to have X. What a pro. How hard he works, the communication, the way he is in the meeting rooms, the way he looks out for the younger guys, that’s the stuff you don't see," defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley said. "Really excited to have him here, continue to have him grow in the scheme and really understand the scheme. It's our job to put him in position to make a lot of things happen. It's been fun to see everything that he can do and how quickly he can learn. I'm really glad we have him."
What he can do
The most appealing factor in McKinney's game is his ability to play multiple spots. He is a piece Hafley needed to build what he intends to.
You bring this guy in because you want to play differently, and that's Xavier McKinney in Green Bay," said analyst Derrik Klassen on The Athletic Football Show . "You go sign this guy because you want to play a certain way. 'We wanna be a one-high defense, we're gonna have a center-fielder, go out and actually cover a ton of ground.' Xavier McKinney absolutely does that. It slots very perfectly on Jeff Hafley's defense, you need a guy who can man, center-field, and have a ton of range. But McKinney also has a ton of flexibility."
McKinney gives the Packers the chance to play the young drafted players (Javon Bullard and Evan Williams in particular) wherever it's best. Williams, for example, mentioned that McKinney reads the offense and tells them where he will play each snap. The interchangeability, especially between McKinney and Bullard, is the main idea behind what the Packers want to do at the position.
"He's a unique player to come available ,” Brian Gutekunst said during league meetings. "He's 24 years old, one of the top safeties in the game, a guy that can be a game-changing type player. He really fits the criteria we're looking for in a free agent, not only as a player but as a leader back there. Extensively scouted him through college and liked him quite a bit coming out, and he's done nothing in his time in the NFL to change that."
The Packers needed an overhaul at the safety position, and Xavier McKinney in free agency was the perfect opportunity to make it happen.
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