He also added two fumble recoveries, three interceptions, and a half-sack in what is likely his last season in Giants blue.
Noted PFF of their inclusion of the former Alabama star on their breakout list:
McKinney was a capable starter for the first three years of his career with the Giants, but not much more than that. He has always been one of the best tacklers at the position, never earning a tackling grade below 81.0 in his NFL career.
He took his game to new heights in 2023, posting the best coverage grade among safeties (91.2) and an impressive tackling grade (89.1). That resulted in an 87.8 PFF overall grade, placing fourth at the position. He saved his best performance for last, tormenting the Eagles’ offense with two interceptions and three run stops en route to a 95.3 game grade and a 95.5 mark in coverage in Week 18.
McKinney got off to a slow start this season, sometimes looking like he was playing uninspired ball. He dropped string hints before the start of the season about feeling disrespected by the team, likely due to his witnessing teammates Andrew Thomas and Dexter Lawerence receiving contract extensions before their respective rookie deals expired while he did not.
General manager Joe Schoen, who made it clear that he’d wait until after the season to discuss McKinney’s future with the team, likely took that route after seeing how the safety missed large chunks of playing time in two of his first three seasons and who in that span, didn’t rack up impact plays.
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