The ball-hawking safety enters the 2026 season as the Green Bay Packers' defensive linchpin. A premier playmaker and veteran leader, Xavier McKinney remains the ultimate deterrent for opposing quarterbacks.
We're officially 4 days from the start of the 2026 NFL season for the Green Bay Packers. Whether you're ready or not, football season is here.
The Packers kick off their 2026 season against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, Sept. 13, from U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Talk about pressure. The Vikings are certainly in a transitional place as a franchise, but getting going against an NFC North foe ratchets up the intensity of this season from the get-go.
It's a big season for the Packers. There's a belief that they're in a Super Bowl window right now, which means every single game is important. That means the intensity will be there in Week 2 at MetLife Stadium against the New York Jets and it will certainly be there in Week 3 against the Atlanta Falcons, when the Packers will play at Lambeau Field for the first time in 2026.
There's going to be a lot of proverbial ink spilled on this 2026 season and we here at PackersRoundtable hope that you spend as much time as possible with us talking about the ins and outs and ups and downs of the Packers.
As we prepare for the 2026 season, though, we're going to kick things off with a rankings series looking at the Top 50 Packers heading into the 2025 season.
At No. 4 we have safety Xavier McKinney
Ranking the Top 50 Packers Heading Into 2026: No. 4, Xavier McKinney
Sep 7, 2025; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Green Bay Packers safety Xavier McKinney (29) during the game against the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images.The rest of the league apparently took safety Xavier McKinney lightly when the Green Bay Packers signed him to a four-year, $68 million contract in March of 2024. He had essentially played like an All-Pro for the New York Giants, the team that drafted him out of Alabama, but teams still decided to throw deep on the Packers with McKinney in the defensive backfield.
The results were predictable. He notched eight interceptions, 11 passes defended and was a first-team All-Pro.
McKinney is one of the best safeties in the league. His numbers went down a bit in 2025, but that's because straight-up avoided throwing to wherever he was on the field.
You've heard of shutdown corners, but McKinney is a shut down safety. He's got a nose for the ball and he's a true playmaker when it comes down to it.
In six NFL seasons, two with the Packers, McKinney has notched 474 tackles (294 solo), 19 interceptions, 48 passes defended, eight tackles for loss, five quarterback hits, three forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and 3.5 sacks.
He's a massive weapon for new defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon. He's also a defensive leader at 28 years old and a team captain. Remember, this team is still young and could use all the veteran presence McKinney can give it.
2025 Synopsis:
In 16 regular season games played with 16 starts, McKinney notched 107 tackles (54 solo), 10 passes defended, two interceptions, one forced fumble and one sack. He was a second-team All-Pro safety.
Notable Quotables:
"I can't say enough good things about him. Always had a high regard for him, being a DB coach, what he's been able to do through his career. He's kind of like Z too. Now I knew Z from Indy a little bit, but expectations met, plus some. Just from a general philosophical approach to good safety play, they've got to be super intelligent, which he is, and he's got all the tools. He can blitz, he can tackle, he can cover, he can play deep zones, he can run the whole show. First thing that pops into my head is reliability. He's as reliable as you can get." - Jonathan Gannon
Projected Role in 2026
As long as McKinney is healthy, he'll have another All-Pro season. In fact, his numbers as far as interceptions and passes defended, should go up because other teams won't be able to just avoid him, considering the rising stars the Packers also have in Evan Williams and Javon Bullard.
Previous Rankings:
