Former New York Giants safety Xavier McKinney (29) agreed to terms with the Green Bay Packers … [+]
Brian Gutekunst didn’t pull any punches.
Gutekunst, Green Bay’s general manager, had this to say about his defensive backfield at the end of the 2023 campaign.
“I think the back end is probably where we weren’t as consistent as we needed to be and I’d like that to be shored up,” Green Bay general manager Brian Gutekunst said. “There will probably some moving pieces there going into next year.”
Piece No. 1 came Monday, when the Packers reportedly agreed to a four-year, $68 million deal with safety Xavier McKinney.
The 24-year old McKinney spent his first four seasons with the New York Giants. McKinney was rated the No. 4 safety in football by Pro Football Focus in 2023 with top-10 grades in both coverage and in the box.
In 592 coverage snaps last season, McKinney was targeted 53 times and didn’t allow a touchdowns. McKinney had five interceptions in 2021, three in 2023 and is widely regarded as an outstanding tackler.
“Pay that man his money,” Giants running back Saquon Barkley said of McKinney last season. “It might be the Giants. It might be whoever. He deserves it for sure.”
McKinney ruffled some feathers by publicly criticizing former Giants’ defensive coordinator Wink Martindale last season. But the Packers clearly believe McKinney will be a terrific fit in new coordinator Jeff Hafley’s 4-3 defensive scheme.
“I want a guy who can erase things,” Hafley said. “We got to eliminate explosive plays when we play this defense, so if a run hits up the middle, this guy’s gotta come out of the middle field with his hair on fire, he’s gotta be able to get a guy down. I also want him to be a guy, when a ball carrier is wrapped up, he goes and he finishes off the pile.
“I want a guy who can go from sideline to sideline and take the ball away. I think that position has to be a guy with high ball production, meaning he’s gotta be able to intercept the ball. He’s got to be a guy that can communicate and he’s got to be a guy that can get guys lined up and make some calls back there and I’d love a guy that can play man, so I guess I’m describing the perfect player to you, but those are some of the traits I’d look for in playing that position.”
Safety Darnell Savage, Green Bay’s No. 1 draft pick in 2019, agreed to terms with Jacksonville on Monday. Jonathan Owens and Rudy Ford — two contributors last season — are also unrestricted free agents.
With McKinney, though, the Packers now have a safety to build that positional group around.
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