Defense, defense, defense. If you’ve followed the Las Vegas Raiders this offseason the priority has been obvious: they need stops. After shoring up their linebacking core and adding some depth along the defensive line, the needs on the defensive ball still loom large when it comes to the defensive backfield.
At safety, the Raiders did add former Dallas Cowboy Jeff Heath, but given the size of that contract, it feels like more of a depth signing than a guy they’re expecting to come in and be a difference-maker. With a hole still remaining in the starting lineup alongside last year’s first-rounder, Johnathan Abram, one name to keep an eye on in a few weeks is Alabama’s Xavier McKinney.
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 201 lbs
40-yard-dash: 4.63
Bench Press: 19
Vertical jump: 35
Broad jump: 122
College stats: 32 games, 175 tackles, 6 sacks, 5 interceptions, 15 passes defended, 6 forced fumbles
If the Raiders could make all their dreams come true, Isaiah Simmons — the swiss army knife from Clemson — would still be available when the 12th pick comes around. Unfortunately, there’s not a chance in hell that’s happening.
The next best thing in that mold? That would be Alabama’s Xavier McKinney.
While we know about Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden’s obsession with top-tier college football programs, there’s more to McKinney than an Alabama jersey. In a league that is shifting towards “position-less football”, McKinney is exactly the type of player the Raiders need patrolling their defense.
Consider these numbers from Pro Football Focus: McKinney saw at least 200 snaps at slot corner, strong safety and free safety in his career — and graded out well at every single one of them. Despite facing the best competition in the country every week, he graded out positively in run coverage, pass coverage and as a pass rusher in each of the last two seasons.
Then again, there’s a reason McKinney might still be on the board when the Raiders are picking at No. 19 — and his combine numbers hint at it. Athletically, McKinney is fairly average — relying far more on instincts than on athleticism (not that there’s anything wrong with that, but ideally you’d have both).
For what it’s worth, however, apparently that lack of athleticism isn’t as obvious on game film as this was NFL.com’s scouting report:
“Ascending safety prospect offering a combination of plus athleticism, field awareness and versatility. McKinney split time equally at slot, free safety and in the box and is accomplished in each. His coverage instincts, athleticism and quick-twitch burst are more cornerback than safety, which is why he’s likely to be a coveted toy for teams looking to upgrade and diversify their sub-packages. He can sit in center field all day if needed, and he’s an adequate open-field tackler but has room for improvement in that area. McKinney represents the new breed of versatile, matchup safety with high upside as an early starter.”
So while his combine numbers suggest average athleticism, maybe the tape says otherwise? Even if it is average, one analyst referred to him as a less athletic version of Derwin James and Jamal Adams, which, I’d take it. He’s a high-floor guy who will solidify the back half of the defense in forming a formidable pairing with the hard-hitting Abram.
One thing I love about McKinney’s tape is how prominently he was featured on the Alabama defense — a unit that has produced high-end NFL talent year after year. Last season he led the team in tackles (95) and forced four fumbles, while adding six sacks and five picks across his sophomore and junior seasons. On top of that, Nick Saban raves about his leadership ability and practice habits — the type of things that give Gruden butterflies.
Honestly, the list goes on and on. He was the defensive MVP of the Orange Bowl last season, with five tackles and four pass breakups. Todd McShay said that coming into the season he wasn’t the top safety in the class, but given how he played, he cemented himself as the top guy by the end of the year. (McShay has him No. 14 overall).
Verdict: At No. 12 I don’t think safety is a critical enough position to justify reaching for McKinney, but if he’s on the board at 19 and some of their other targets are gone then I’d have no problem with this pick. I love the image of McKinney and Abram holding things down defensively on the back-half for the next decade alongside youngsters like Trayvon Mullen and Isaiah Johnson. This wouldn’t be the sexiest pick in the world, but sometimes instead of swinging for the fences, you need to take a double.
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