Alabama Football: Xavier McKinney was the steal of the 2020 NFL Draft

The New York Giants were gifted the steal of the 2020 NFL Draft in second-round selection of Alabama football’s Xavier McKinney.

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the 2020 NFL Draft was not the Packers selecting a quarterback round one or Tua Tagovailoa not taking a nose dive despite countless injuries. Rather it might be the draft’s top safety in Alabama’s Xavier McKinney falling to the second round and the draft to the Giants.

McKinney was projected by nearly every so-called expert to hear his name called in round one ESPN’s Mel Kiper to be taken by the Dallas Cowboys with the 17th overall pick while Todd McShay had him as the Dolphins 18th overall selection.

Instead, he fell to the second round and 36th overall pick and the Giants. McKinney isn’t the first Alabama safety that has seemingly fallen into New York’s lap. In 2015, projected first-rounder Landon Collins fell to the Giants in the second round and went onto make three Pro Bowls as a Giant before signing with the Redskins.

McKinney has the same celling. In three college seasons in Tuscaloosa, he recorded 175 total tackles, made six sacks, defended 15 passes grabbed five interceptions, forced six fumbles and scored two touchdowns.

As a junior in 2019, he earned first-team All-SEC honors after recording a career-high 95 total tackles with 5.5 coming for a loss and three being sacks. He also grabbed three interceptions, averaging 26 yards per return with a touchdown while defending five passes and forcing four fumbles.

His best game came in Alabama’s biggest of the season when he made 13 total tackles and two sacks with one being a strip-sack recovered by the Tide against eventual national champion LSU.

Not only do McKinney’s numbers prove he’s a steal, but being from Alabama means he was part of two College Football Playoff teams, earned a 2017 national title ring and won nearly every game he played in.

The Giants have gone a combined 12-36 the last three seasons and badly need to establish a winning culture.

McKinney will bring a winning mentality while also pairing with Jabril Peppers to perform one of the NFL’s most athletic safety duos. The fact it did not even cost the Giants a first-round pick to form this makes it the selection the biggest heist in the 2020 NFL Draft.