Brian Gutekunst's busy Monday included an upgrade in Green Bay's secondary.
Packers are expected to sign former Giants safety Xavier McKinney to a four-year, $68 million deal, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported on Monday, per a source. The deal will make McKinney the third highest-paid safety in the NFL in terms of average annual value at $17 million per year.
McKinney moves from the struggling Giants to an upstart Packers team that surprised many by sprinting to the Divisional Round of the playoffs in 2023. He brings with him a resume that doesn't include any postseason accolades, but projects for a bright future, especially after he posted his best overall defensive grade of his career in 2023, per Pro Football Focus.
Using that same metric, McKinney represents a significant upgrade over the man he's replacing, Darnell Savage, who agreed to a three-year deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday. According to PFF, McKinney owned the highest coverage grade (91.2) of any safety in the NFL in 2023, besting the likes of Atlanta's Jessie Bates, Miami's Jevon Holland and Baltimore's Kyle Hamilton. He was also substantially better than Savage, who finished with a grade of 61.7 in 10 games played.
McKinney is capable of handling duties in both the pass and run, finishing seventh among all defensive backs in tackles with 116. 2023 saw him finish as one of four defensive backs with 115-plus tackles and 10-plus passes defensed, providing the Packers with a well-rounded safety and another notable name in a backfield that also includes Jaire Alexander.
Green Bay is working with the luxury of having ample money to spend in 2024, thanks in large part to Jordan Love's rapid development in his first year as a starter while playing under a contract that accounts for just $12.7 million in cap space this season. Gutekunst is wasting no time upgrading the roster for a team that many will expect to contend for the NFC North title and perhaps more in 2024.
The signing of McKinney adds to the Packers' busy afternoon on the first day of the of 2024 negotiating period, including the signing of running back Josh Jacobs, who will replace the soon-to-be-released Aaron Jones.
