One of the big splashes that the Green Bay Packers made during the 2024 NFL offseason was signing safety Xavier McKinney. A second-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft out of Alabama by the New York Giants, the Packers have high expectations for him.
A versatile player who can fit in any scheme, Xavier McKinney looks to be a perfect fit in Jeff Hafley’s defensive scheme. Hafley will be able to move his star safety around the formation based on the opponent’s strengths. It also makes mixing and matching with other defensive backs on the team easier knowing McKinney can fill so many roles.
The team is not only excited to see Xavier McKinney patrolling the defensive backfield but so are the fans. Over at Acme Packing Co. of SB Nation, a poll was held asking which new Packers player people were most excited to see.
It was a runaway for the Alabama product. He received 50 percent of the vote, which was more than double the next closest vote-getter. Coming in second was rookie linebacker Edgerrin Cooper, who earned 22 percent.
The second-round pick out of Texas A&M barely beat out running back Josh Jacobs, who garnered 20 percent of the vote. Jacobs is coming to the Green Bay Packers after spending the first four seasons of his career with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Rounding out the top five were second-round pick, safety Javon Bullard and first-round pick, offensive lineman Jordan Morgan. Despite being the first two players the Packers selected in the 2024 NFL Draft, they received only six and two percent of the vote.
Fans are always excited to see big-named free agents added to the roster. It should be no surprise then that Xavier McKinney and Jacobs received so much of the vote. The biggest surprise is how excited people are to see Cooper.
The Green Bay Packers’ defense has underwhelmed the last few seasons under previous coordinator Joe Barry. They are hoping that changes in 2024 and beyond with Hafley, as McKinney and Cooper will be major parts of the game plan.
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