Scouting the 2020 NFL Draft: Xavier McKinney, DB, Alabama

Grant Delpit has received a lot of the early hype at the safety position, but Alabama’s Xavier McKinney has the skills in coverage to emerge as the best safety in the 2020 NFL draft.

Xavier McKinney isn’t discussed as the top safety prospect in the 2020 draft class because of the presence of LSU’s Grant Delpit, but he has the natural ability to challenge his SEC rival for top billing at the position once draft season rolls around.

Coming out of high school McKinney was ranked the No. 6 safety in his class; Delpit was the ninth. McKinney was ranked 58th overall in that recruiting cycle compared to Delpit, who ranked 66th.

McKinney doesn’t have the height and length that Delpit has but makes up for it with intelligence and athleticism. McKinney’s feet are simply on another level. If you’re a coach and want to teach players what textbook footwork looks like, turn on some of McKinney’s film.

The Alabama pedigree oozes from McKinney; his technique and attention to detail are obvious. He keeps his feet within the frame of his body and keeps his chest over his toes when in his backpedal.

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McKinney has an edge over Delpit in press coverage. He won’t be limited to strictly the safety position at the next level. When Trevon Diggs was injured last season, Alabama used McKinney in the slot and he was highly productive.

McKinney looks like he’s played cornerback his whole life. The patience he has at both the line of scrimmage and at the top of the receiver’s routes is uncanny and takes years of practice for most, but comes naturally for McKinney.

McKinney has all the traits to be a legitimate slot corner at the next level if that’s where teams decide he fits best.

When McKinney does slip-up in coverage — which doesn’t happen often — he has the speed to recover, not allowing for the receiver to create large amounts of separation. McKinney drives his foot into the ground and explodes into his breaks; receivers will have a hard time accruing yards after the catch with McKinney on their hip.

McKinney has great anticipation skills as a safety. His tape is littered with examples of his natural feel on the third level.

McKinney can be used in a multitude of ways which only makes him more valuable as a draft prospect. He can be a single high safety as easily as he can be a slot corner. But he isn’t perfect; he needs work against the run. He doesn’t always take the best angles when coming downhill and often allows running backs to turn the corner.

That said, as a defensive back, his deficiencies in the run game shouldn’t lower his stock; in fact, if McKinney is able to build off the year he had last year he should find himself in the first-round conversation.

Sure, Delpit makes more plays in the run game, but McKinney is better when dropping down covering the slot. And that could arguably make him more appealing to NFL teams next April.

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