36. Giants - Xavier McKinney, S, Alabama (6-0, 201) Dane Brugler: McKinney is explosive downhill and a reliable open-field tackler, finding his center and dropping ball carriers. He does a nice job in coverage vs. backs and tight ends with solid ball skills, although he doesn’t always play to his athletic profile when matched up with receivers. Overall, McKinney is an instinctive, full-speed-ahead defender with the functional range and diagnose skills to put himself in position to make plays, projecting as an interchangeable safety who should start from Day 1. Bob McGinn/Anonymous Scouts: McKinney is possibly the most polarizing player in the secondary. “He didn’t run a great 40, but he’s a good football player, man,” said one scout. “If he can play safety and run the show for (Nick) Saban, you’re a damn good football player. He was asked to do a lot.” McKinney is a third-year junior and two-year starter. “Everybody says how smart he is,” said another scout. “He didn’t do a great job on the interview. Everybody says he calls it, he runs the show for them on the back end. To me, it looks like he’s looking at No. 21 (Jared Mayden) asking him what he’s supposed to do. He’s looking to other people … I do think he plays faster than he timed. Great players make plays. This kid doesn’t.” In addition to the poor 40, he posted average testing numbers. “There’s no bust there,” a third scout said. “He’s a really good player. He’s a winner. He’s a leader. He can be versatile. I don’t think he has an elite trait except probably his instincts.” He scored 11 on the Wonderlic and finished with 176 tackles (13 for loss), six sacks, five forced fumbles, five picks and 20 passes defenses. “That’s all he is is a starter,” said a fourth scout. “He’ll be exposed. He won’t be able to run. Nice kid. Looks like he’s got pretty good hands. He’ll be in a good position, but speed will be his Achilles.” He’s from Roswell, Ga. “Late in the year he missed a hell of a lot more tackles than he made,” a fifth scout said. “This guy is not a first-round player. I don’t see a ballhawk. I don’t see a hammer. I don’t see a guy who can cover the field. He’s a good cover guy against tight ends and backs, not great. But I don’t think he can cover wide receivers.” Added a sixth scout: “They’ve had some other guys come out of there but he’s probably the most complete package compared to Ha Ha (Clinton-Dix), Ronnie Harrison, Landon Collins. He’s better than all those guys. He’s more well-rounded. I’ll take that one to court.” BACKGROUND: Xavier (ZAY-vee-er) McKinney was a four-year letterman at Roswell, playing everywhere in the secondary and seeing snaps at receiver. He posted 111 tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks and nine interceptions (two returned for touchdowns) as a junior, earning all-state honors. As a senior, McKinney finished with 82 tackles, seven interceptions and two forced fumbles, earning 2016 Georgia Class 7A Defensive Player of the Year honors. He also played basketball at Roswell. A four-star safety recruit out of high school, McKinney was the No. 6 rated safety in the country and the No. 8 recruit in 2Georgia. He initially committed to Alabama early in his junior year before de-committing the summer before his senior year in high school. McKinney narrowed his final choice to Alabama, Clemson, Georgia and Ohio State, re-committing to Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide before signing day. He elected to skip his senior season and enter the 2020 NFL Draft. STRENGTHS: Quick trigger to unlock, drive and go…disciplined eyes, tracking the backfield action without sacrificing his deep responsibilities…balanced tackler in the open field, shuffling and calming his feet before striking his target…leads with his shoulder pads and ball carrier often goes backward after he connects…moves with range to shadow in coverage…smooth tracking and ball skills, capitalizing on poor throws…averaged 20.2 yards per interception return with two touchdowns (5/101/2)…doesn’t panic in coverage and keeps his wits…brings juice as a blitzer, using his physicality to work off blocks…his coaches trust him and he is described as the “alpha dog on the team” by his teammates…started every game the last two seasons, playing through injury and producing at a steady clip while wearing different hats. WEAKNESSES: Spacing is an issue for him in deep coverage, allowing too much of a frontside cushion…loses balance easily when forced to flip his hips, showing some tightness in his pedal transition…shifty receivers can shake him in the slot…ordinary recovery speed and struggles to make up lost steps…quick reaction and closing skills, but needs to be a better finisher – vs. both the pass and the run…still developing his route recognition. SUMMARY: A two-year starter at Alabama, McKinney played free safety in Nick Saban’s 3-4 base scheme, lining up two-high, single-high and dropping into the box in nickel/dime situations. He had a wide array of responsibilities in the secondary and created 10 turnover-worthy plays (five interceptions, five forced fumbles) the last two years. McKinney is explosive downhill and a reliable open-field tackler, finding his center and dropping ball carriers. He does a nice job in coverage vs. backs and tight ends with solid ball skills, although he doesn’t always play to his athletic profile when matched up with receivers. Overall, McKinney is an instinctive, full-speedahead defender with the functional range and diagnose skills to put himself in position to make plays, projecting as an interchangeable safety who should start from Day 1.
37. Patriots - Kyle Dugger, S, Lenoir-Rhyne (6-1, 217) Dane Brugler: With his lateral twitch and controlled feet, Dugger can run the alley or make plays at the sideline, also showing the speed that will serve him well on special teams. Whether from depth or near the line of scrimmage, he has a knack for navigating and finding the football. Overall, Dugger faces a sizable uptick in game speed at the NFL level, but his length, smooth athleticism and nose for the football will serve him well, projecting as a box safety or weakside linebacker with starting upside. Bob McGinn/Anonymous Scouts: Dugger didn’t start until his senior year in high school. His only offer was from NCAA Division II Lenoir-Rhyne, which is located in Hickory, N.C. “That’s in-between App State and Charlotte,” said one scout. “I like him. He’s tough and he can tackle. Technique-wise, he’s got a long ways to go because of where he played.” Started 42 games over six years, redshirting in 2014 and receiving a medical redshirt (meniscus) in ’16. “He has everything athletically that you want,” another scout said. “At the Senior Bowl, against very good competition, he showed up. For a small-school kid he knew exactly what they were doing. He’s just a great kid. I’d take him in the first round. He does miss tackles but it’s not because of a lack of want-to.” Dugger finished with 237 tackles (6 ½ for loss), 10 picks and 36 passes defensed. “He’s like (Isaiah) Simmons and (Jeremy) Chinn,” a third scout said. “Can play a lot of different spots. He can really run. It’s going to be a little bit of a transition coming from Division II, but he’s got all the tools.” He led the safeties in vertical jump (42), wingspan (78 ½), arm length (32 7/8), hand size (10 3/8) and body fat (4.0%) and scored 23 on the Wonderlic. “He’s real,” a fourth scout said. “He’s a fearless tackler. He’s got range. Makes plays all over the field. Man-to-man coverage skills. He may go in the second.” Dugger is from Decatur, Ga. BACKGROUND: Kyle Dugger grew up in the Atlanta area and started playing football at a young age, most as a running back. A two-year letterman in both basketball and football at Whitewater, he didn’t see varsity reps until his junior year as he grew into his body. As a senior, Dugger became a full-time starter on both sides of the ball, playing receiver on offense and cornerback on defense (80 tackles, three interceptions). As the starting point guard, he averaged 9.6 points per game and earned first team all-county honors. A no-star recruit out of high school, Dugger was undersized (5-11, 170 pounds) and didn’t become a full-time starter until his senior year in high school, making him a virtual unknown to college recruiters. He received moderate interest from FCS-level programs, but no offers arrived. Dugger considered going the juco or prep school route, but decided to accept his only college offer – Division II Lenoir-Rhyne. His mother (Kimberly) was a power forward at Fort Valley State and was inducted into the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame. His older brother (Patrick) was a 6-7, 260-pound center at LaGrange College, playing professionally overseas. Dugger accepted his invitation to the 2020 Senior Bowl. STRENGTHS: Impressive build with long arms and large hands…excellent reactive athleticism…smooth transition skills with composed footwork, not wasting steps in coverage…great job getting his eyes back to the quarterback while reading routes…smart player and quick to identify and flow…assignment sound as a downhill run defender…uses his length to stack and shed, striking blockers with pop…navigates well through traffic, seeing through blockers to find the football…enjoys contact and competes with NFL-level toughness…above average ball skills, highpointing with soft hands to finish interceptions…averaged 16.4 yards on interception returns with one touchdown (10/164/1)…impact punt returner in college, averaging 13.9 yards per return with six total touchdowns (67/929/6). WEAKNESSES: Lacks in-game experience against top competition…plays quick, but not explosive…looks a tad sluggish in his change of direction, requiring a small runway to get going…pursuit speed doesn’t always match his stopwatch time…average motor and doesn’t always crank up if the play is away from him…wasn’t a blitzer in college and needs to develop his rush moves…suffered a torn meniscus (September 2016) and took a medical redshirt; missed the second half of his senior season due to a hand injury (October 2019). SUMMARY: A four-year starter at Lenoir-Rhyne, Dugger played field safety in defensive coordinator Joel Taylor’s 4-2-5 scheme, playing mostly man coverage vs. the slot with snaps single-high and underneath zone. A classic late bloomer, he developed into a legitimate pro prospect at the Division II level and should supplant John Milem (No. 150 pick in the 2000 NFL Draft) as the highest-drafted player in Lenoir-Rhyne’s history. With his lateral twitch and controlled feet, Dugger can run the alley or make plays at the sideline, also showing the speed that will serve him well on special teams. Whether from depth or near the line of scrimmage, he has a knack for navigating and finding the football. Overall, Dugger faces a sizable uptick in game speed at the NFL level, but his length, smooth athleticism and nose for the football will serve him well, projecting as a box safety or weakside linebacker with starting upside.
