Had Xavier McKinney not fractured a bone in his foot in training camp that required surgery and forced him to miss most of the season, the Giants might not have signed cornerback Logan Ryan to a one-year deal to replace him. They wouldn’t have signed Ryan to the three-year extension they agreed to last week, either, after he spent the year becoming one of the most valuable pieces in Joe Judge’s vision of the Giants’ future, both on and off the field. Ryan has become a cornerstone for the organization’s rebuild.
Which means McKinney’s greatest contribution to the Giants so far might have been getting hurt.