The True Winner of the Xavier McKinney Award is Rashan Gary Putting a signature

When Xavier McKinney wrote something at 1265 Lombardi Ave. earlier this month, there were a lot of happy smiles in Green Bay, but maybe none more than Rashan Gary’s.

The Packers and new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley will be able to be more aggressive and imaginative in how they bring rushers to the ball if McKinney is added as a coverage safety blanket on the back end of the team. Gary is able to go one-on-one with an opposing tackle more often when there are more rushers. And when you allow Gary to face opposing tackles one-on-one…

It can be assumed that McKinney is the safety to fill the role of single-high safety in Hafley’s defensive strategy. McKinney meets all the requirements to be a rangy player as a player.

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There are other coaches who will be pleased to meet McKinney besides Hafley. The main recruiter responsible for luring McKinney to Alabama was Derrick Ansley, the coordinator of the Packers passing game. In addition, Ansley coached the defensive backs for the Crimson Tide in 2016–17, McKinney’s first year in college.

On Green Bay’s defense, McKinney will surely be in high-leverage scenarios. As a result of McKinney’s ability to cover, the quarterback has less options, which frees Hafley up to use more subtle blitz packages. The men in the front seven will be able to regroup and attack as a result. Putting players in the greatest possible position for success is the core of Hafley.

“Are you able to take your players and make the most of them?” said Hafley. “Everyone

It is our duty to help the player achieve their goal of improving. Putting the players in the best possible position to succeed and make plays is our duty, and we do that by implementing the plan, right? Although the plan is quite thorough, many may argue that it is simpler overall.

Under Joe Barry’s guidance, the Packers frequently used blitz tactics. With McKinney on the field, they can now rush with greater assurance knowing that their deep safety can cover.

The Packers’ defense, which was in the worst half of the league in forcing takeaways, will produce huge plays if Gary is given cleaner looks from the edge and more chances to take one-on-one tackles. Green Bay’s defense was tied for the second-to-last spot in the NFL in 2023.

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Gary has 27 sacks, 62 QB hits, three forced fumbles, and four fumble recoveries in 63 career games. Gary was rewarded for his efforts with a four-year, $107 million agreement from the Packers early in the previous season. With this new salary, Gary is now the fifth-highest paid edge rusher in the NFL, following Myles Garrett, T.J. Watt, and All-Pros Nick and Joey Bosa.

Gary has amazing underlying pass-rush statistics. Gary has an exceptional Pass-Rushing Productivity (PRP) score, according to PFF. PRP calculates a pass rusher’s productivity in relation to his opportunities. With a PRP rating of 19.3, almost four points better than the next participant, Gary came in top.

Additionally, he ranks highly on PFF’s Pash-Rush Win Rate.

measurement that counts the number of times a rusher beats his opponent to the quarterback, whether or not it results in a hurry, sack, or hit. Gary had a 31.8% Pass-Rush Win Rate, good for second place.

But Gary is not the only one who benefits from McKinney’s presence. All of the defensive lineman, including Preston Smith and Lukas Van Ness, will be in a better position to press the quarterback and produce huge plays in the backfield.

For opposing quarterbacks, Rashan Gary is going to provide a completely new nightmare if you thought he was a frightening player a few years ago.

Unless specified otherwise, all statistics and data come from the Green Bay Packers, NFL, Statmuse, and ESPN.