All-NFC North Team: Where Does Xavier McKinney Rank Among Star Safeties?

First-team All-Pro Xavier McKinney of the Green Bay Packers was voted to On SI’s All-NFC North team but was not a unanimous first-team selection.

On SI’s four NFC North beat writers voted for the top five safeties in the division, with No. 1 getting one point, No. 2 getting two points and so on. McKinney finished second in the voting behind the Detroit Lions’ All-Pro safety, Kerby Joseph.

Here’s the vote: Detroit’s Kerby Joseph, 6 points (two first-place votes, two second-place votes), Green Bay’s Xavier McKinney, 8 (two first-place votes, two third-place votes); Detroit’s Brian Branch, 10 (two second-place votes, two third-place votes); Minnesota’s Josh Metellus, 18 (two fourth-place votes, two fifth-place votes); Chicago’s Kevin Byard (one fourth-place vote, two fifth-place votes, one no vote); Minnesota’s Harrison Smith (one fourth-place vote, three no votes).

All-NFC North Safeties

Kerby Joseph has emerged as a premier player at the position. A third-round pick in 2022, Joseph had four interceptions as a rookie and again in 2023. Last season, he led the NFL with nine interceptions. Moreover, of 64 safeties with 50 percent playing time, he had the fourth-lowest missed-tackle percentage.

“Joseph signed a four-year contract extension that made him the highest-paid player at the position,” Lions On SI’s John Maakaron said. “It’s well-earned, as he has shown plenty of growth in his short time in Detroit. Along with all the improvements in his coverage, he dropped his missed-tackle percentage from 15.0 percent in 2023 to 6.3 percent in 2024.” 

Xavier McKinney is so good that he changed the fortunes of two defenses. A second-round pick by the Giants in 2020, McKinney had three interceptions in 2023 to help New York finish tied for first in takeaways and tied for third interceptions.

After signing a four-year, $67 million contract with the Packers, McKinney intercepted eight passes. The Packers soared from 23rd in takeaways and 31st in interceptions to third in interceptions and fourth in takeaways while the Giants crashed and burned to 31st in interceptions and 28th in takeaways.

McKinney was sensational in every way en route to first-team All-Pro honors. In 2023, Green Bay’s starting safeties entering the playoffs had zero interceptions during the regular season. McKinney’s eight were the most by a Packers defender since Charles Woodson had nine in 2009.

He wasn’t just a ballhawk. He was an eraser on the back end who prevented big plays. He was an excellent tackler, no different than the rest of his career, and finished fifth in missed-tackle percentage. He led in the locker room, with his position group including three rookie draft picks, two of whom played a considerable number of snaps. He was practically an extension of defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley on the field.

McKinney’s goal isn’t to be an All-Pro. It’s to be a Pro Football Hall of Famer. Maybe he’s on his way: Over the last four seasons, McKinney is the only player with at least 325 tackles, 15 interceptions and 35 passes defensed. He is No. 1 among safeties with 37 PBUs and tied for third overall with 16 interceptions.

Detroit’s Brian Branch received the second-place votes that didn’t go to McKinney. Getting extensive playing time at both safety positions as well as the slot, he had four interceptions and one forced fumble. He recorded 109 tackles while playing excellent run defense and being an adept blitzer.

“Branch has brought a unique versatility that makes him the ultimate weapon for Detroit's defense,” Maakaron said. “His blend of skills gives him the opportunity to impact the game in a number of ways.”