One of the strengths for the New York Giants heading into the 2021 season was the defensive backs. The corners and the safeties were the best overall position, coached by a well-respected leader in Jerome Henderson. New York had a trio of reliable safeties; Logan Ryan was the savvy leader, Jabrill Peppers was the enforcing burst of lightning moving downhill, and Xavier McKinney looked like he could become a very well-rounded safety.
McKinney may have exceeded expectations and could be a true single-high safety with range. Ryan took a step back from his stellar 2020 season but is still the torchbearer of defensive alignment on the back end.