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Xavier McKinney (29) has been one of the top safeties in football since arriving in Green Bay in 2024.<\/p>\n
Getty Images<\/p>\n
The Green Bay Packers were arguably the most disappointing team in football last year. And perhaps no one did less with more than Packers\u2019 coach Matt LaFleur.<\/p>\n
Green Bay headed into the 2025 season with one of the NFL\u2019s top rosters, then traded for star defensive end Micah Parsons 10 days before the year began. Suddenly, Packer Nation was dreaming of their first Super Bowl appearance since 2010.<\/p>\n
Instead, Green Bay went a remarkably unsatisfying 9-8-1 overall and was the NFC\u2019s No. 7 seed for a third consecutive year. The Packers then blew a 21-3 halftime lead in the Wild Card round against Chicago, gave up 25 fourth quarter points and eventually suffered a shocking 31-27 loss to the arch-rival Bears.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo way you should lose games in this league when you\u2019re up that much,\u201d running back Josh Jacobs said.<\/p>\n
Green Bay, which began the year 9-3-1, finished the season with five straight losses. The Packers now enter 2026 with the league\u2019s fourth-longest losing streak.<\/p>\n
Collapsing late in games was the story of Green Bay\u2019s 2025 campaign.<\/p>\n
Green Bay had double digit leads in the final minutes twice against Chicago and also vs. Cleveland and somehow went 0-3 in those games. The Packers\u2019 odds of losing all three contests were 1-in-250,000<\/a>, yet they somehow did it.<\/p>\n \u201cThat (expletive), it\u2019s starting to get damn-near embarrassing,\u201d safety Javon Bullard said.<\/p>\n Rebounding won\u2019t be easy as the Packers were hit hard in free agency and didn’t have a first round draft pick. <\/p>\n Green Bay\u2019s first training camp practice is July 29. Between now and then I will count down the \u201830 Most Important Packers\u2019 heading into the 2026 campaign.<\/p>\n At No. 6 is safety Xavier McKinney.<\/p>\n No. 6Xavier McKinney, SLast season <\/p>\n McKinney started 16 games, registered 102 tackles (51 solo), two interceptions, two quarterback hits, a sack and a forced fumble. He also had 10 passes defensed, which tied for sixth among NFL safeties, and had two quarterback pressures.<\/p>\n McKinney also had five special teams tackles and is one of seven players to post 10-plus passes defensed in at least four of the last five seasons (2021, 2023-25). McKinney\u2019s tackle total was the second-highest of his career and he posted five tackles, or more, in 14 games.<\/p>\n McKinney earned a grade of 81.2 from Pro Football Focus, which was eighth among 98 qualified safeties. His PFF coverage grade of 80.1 ranked seventh and his run-defense grade of 82.4 ranked 10th.<\/p>\n When opposing quarterbacks threw at McKinney, their passer rating was a paltry 60.1.<\/p>\n Career to date<\/p>\n McKinney hasn’t allowed a touchdown as the nearest defender since joining the Packers in 2024, per NFL Next Gen Stats.<\/p>\n During McKinney\u2019s first season with Green Bay in 2024, he finished second in the NFL with eight interceptions and was named first-team All-Pro. He also posted 85 tackles, led the Packers with 11 passes defensed, had two tackles for loss, a sack, a fumble recovery and a quarterback hit.<\/p>\n McKinney\u2019s 128 return yards after interceptions in 2024 were the most by a Packer since Charlie Peprah had 147 in 2011. He also had the most interceptions by a Packer since Charles Woodson had nine in 2009.<\/p>\n McKinney had an interception in each of his first five games and became the first player since 1970 to record interceptions in each of the first five weeks on a new team.<\/p>\n McKinney was also the type of leader Green Bay needed in back after playing the 2023 season with underwhelming Darnell Savage, Rudy Ford and Jonathan Owens at safety.<\/p>\n McKinney spent his first four seasons with the New York Giants, then signed a four-year, $67 million deal with Green Bay in March, 2024. McKinney was rated the No. 4 safety in football by Pro Football Focus in 2023 with top-10 grades in both coverage and in the box.<\/p>\n In 592 coverage snaps in 2023, McKinney was targeted 53 times and didn\u2019t allow a touchdown. <\/p>\n McKinney had been the 36th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.<\/p>\n He played in just six games his rookie season due to a fractured foot. But McKinney rebounded with a strong 2021 campaign when he had a career-high five interceptions (including one for a touchdown) and 93 tackles.<\/p>\n McKinney missed eight games in 2022 after an ATV accident in Cabo during the team’s bye week, then rebounded with a terrific 2023 season.<\/p>\n Outlook<\/p>\n An recent ESPN poll that surveyed NFL executives, coaches and scouts ranked McKinney as the No. 3 safety in football behind only Baltimore\u2019s Kyle Hamilton and Derwin James of the Los Angeles Chargers.<\/p>\n So make no mistake: McKinney is one of the Packers\u2019 three or four best players. He only ranks at No. 6 on this \u2018Most Important List\u2019 because Green Bay has terrific depth at safety with emerging stars Evan Williams<\/a> and Javon Bullard.<\/a><\/p>\n McKinney will turn 28 on Aug. 9 and remains in his prime. He\u2019s been a godsend to Green Bay\u2019s safety room, one of Brian Gutekunst\u2019s finest signings and should continue to excel in 2026.<\/p>\n They said it \u2026<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not going to lie, it was somewhat tough, but for me there was a period in time where after the practices I was going in and meeting with the coaches, just trying to kind of get the extra. Because at first it was taking a little minute, and I\u2019m playing on the other side now, so I\u2019m playing to the field, and \u2026 I\u2019m playing that middle piece, that middle safety, so I\u2019ve got to know both sides, so it was a bit like, OK, let me get it down.\u201d \u2014 McKinney on playing in Jonathan Gannon\u2019s defense<\/p>\n \u201cFast processor. He is always in great position and plays the game in control. He can tackle, he can cover, and he gets the ball.\u201d \u2014 an AFC coach told ESPN about McKinney<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s what the great ones do. They\u2019re going to bring those around them and help them get better. Ultimately, there\u2019s no success like team success in the ultimate team sport. I think it speaks to the level of the character of the person.\u201d \u2014 Packers coach Matt LaFleur on McKinney\u2019s leadership<\/p>\n The Top 30<\/p>\n No. 30 \u2014 Trey Smack<\/a><\/p>\n No. 29 \u2014 Barryn Sorrell<\/a><\/p>\n No. 28 \u2014 Chris McClellan<\/a><\/p>\n No. 27 \u2014 Isaiah McDuffie<\/a><\/p>\n No. 26 \u2014 Daniel Whelan<\/a><\/p>\n No. 25 \u2014 Tyrod Taylor<\/a><\/p>\n No. 24 \u2014 Benjamin St. Juste<\/a><\/p>\n No. 23 \u2014 Skyy Moore<\/a><\/p>\n N0. 22 \u2014 Brandon Cisse<\/a><\/p>\n No. 21 \u2014 Anthony Belton<\/a><\/p>\n No. 20 \u2014 Javon Bullard<\/a><\/p>\n No. 19 \u2014 Aaron Banks<\/a><\/p>\n No. 18 \u2014 Javon Hargrave<\/a><\/p>\n No. 17 \u2014 Sean Rhyan<\/a><\/p>\n No. 16 \u2014 Keisean Nixon<\/a><\/p>\n No. 15 \u2014 Matthew Golden<\/a><\/p>\n No. 14 \u2014 Zaire Franklin<\/a><\/p>\n No. 13 \u2014 Jayden Reed<\/a><\/p>\n No. 12 \u2014 Lukas Van Ness<\/a><\/p>\n No. 11 \u2014 Evan Williams<\/a><\/p>\n No. 10 \u2014 Jordan Morgan<\/a><\/p>\n No. 9 \u2014 Devonte Wyatt<\/a><\/p>\n