Xavier McKinney on Darren Waller: He’s Basically a Receiver Playing Tight End
Ahead of the 2023 season, the Giants safety discussed the challenge of facing New York’s newly acquired tight end.
AP Photo/Vera Nieuwenhuis
After the New York Giants acquired Darren Waller ahead of the 2023 season, safety Xavier McKinney quickly got a firsthand look at what made the tight end such a difficult matchup.
Speaking with hosts Bruce Murray and Charles Davis on SiriusXM NFL Radio’s “The SiriusXM Blitz,” McKinney discussed the challenge of facing Waller and what stood out about his new teammate.
“[Darren Waller is] definitely a challenge, man,” McKinney said. “He’s a guy that’s a one-of-a-kind tight end.”
Waller joined the Giants in March 2023 after New York acquired him in a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders.
“You don’t see too many guys that can do what he’s doing at his size, that’s moving how he’s moving, and basically is a receiver playing tight end,” McKinney said. “So, it’s definitely special to just be able to take the field with him, compete with him.”
McKinney was also optimistic about the direction of the Giants as the team prepared for its second season under head coach Brian Daboll.
“As far as just being a Giant right now, man, it’s a great feeling,” McKinney said. “I’ve loved every second of it since I got here. You could tell that we’re building something special.”
“The new staff that came in and the guys in the front office, everything has been great,” he continued. “Everybody just loves the energy in the building.”
Coming off a 2022 season that ended with a playoff loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, McKinney said the Giants understood what they needed to improve.
“We know what we have to do,” McKinney said. “We know what challenges are in front of us, and we just gotta make sure that we’re prepared.”
