2. Xavier McKinney, Alabama
Size: 6-0, 201
The Good: A devastating baller whenever he gets the ball in his hands, and a whale of a tackler who’s great at getting all over the field, he came up with 169 stops over his last two seasons with five interceptions, taking two for scores. Throw in the six forced fumbles, and he’s an elite game-wrecker.
Able to handle any scheme or any role, let him go after the ball and make big plays, or let him come up with the help in run support, or let him work like a third cornerback and man-up in coverage – he can do it all. However …
The Not-So-Good: There’s a chance he’s got safety-tweener skills – he’s fine for any spot, but possibly not elite at any one NFL role. It would be nice if he had more raw speed. He plays fast enough, but he’s in the 4.6ish range in a draft full of 4.5 and better safeties. As tough as he is, he’s able to get bullied a bit by the bigger targets on 50/50 balls.
NFL Draft College Perspective Thought: There are some parts to being safety that go well beyond any measurables – and his are more than fine. He’s a high-end football player who know how to handle himself no matter what his job is. Throw in his toughness against the run, and he’s a draft-him-and-don’t-worry guy. He’ll start for you at a high level for the next several years and be a stat-sheet filler.
Projected Round: First