The New York Giants spent their first- and second-round picks in the 2020 NFL draft on Georgia offensive tackle Andrew Thomas and Alabama safety Xavier McKinney.
Each player had high expectations entering the year and was slated to start on day one. However, fate had different intentions for both.
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Thomas did start the season at left tackle, replacing veteran Nate Solder, who had decided to opt out of the season as a result of COVID-19. But things did not exactly go well for Thomas, who suffered an ankle injury early on and struggled for roughly half of the season.
Things were even worse for McKinney, who fractured his foot during training camp and missed a total of 10 games before finally returning to the field.
The good news? Both Thomas and McKinney finished the season strong. Thomas played through his injury and noticeably improved, while McKinney capped off the year with a game-sealing interception against the Dallas Cowboys that could have (and should have) sent the Giants to the playoffs.
Now, headed into the 2021 season, the Giants need both Thomas and McKinney to take the next steps in their development. And Dan Duggan of The Athletic believes they both can, naming each a potential breakout candidate. Duggan put a greater emphasis on McKinney’s ceiling.
The Giants are relying on a bunch of veterans after their free-agent spending sprees in the past two offseasons. But they need some of their young draft picks to make a jump. Left tackle Andrew Thomas, the No. 4 pick in the 2020 draft, struggled in the first half of his rookie season before settling down. He’ll need to be consistently better this season. Safety Xavier McKinney, a second-rounder in 2020, missed the first 10 games with a broken foot but showed enough flashes after his return to fuel optimism. McKinney could be poised for a breakout sophomore season.
Thomas is expected to once again start at left tackle (Solder will compete at right tackle), while McKinney will fit into a secondary rotation that also includes safeties Logan Ryan and Jabrill Peppers, and versatile defensive back Julian Love.
Improvement and impact from both Thomas and McKinney will go a long way in getting the Giants back to the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
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