Alabama safety Xavier McKinney has declared he will forgo his senior season in Tuscaloosa and declare for the NFL draft. McKinney stands at 6’1” and 200 pounds out of Roswell, Georgia has started at safety for the Crimson Tide for the last two seasons. He led or tied the team lead in tackles in six games in 2019 and earned first team All-SEC this past season. He also earned second team All-America from the AFCA, The Sporting News and the Walter Camp Association, and third team All-America from the Associated Press and Pro Football Focus.

McKinney was a four-star recruit according to 247sports, rated as the sixth best safety in the nation and the eight best recruit in the state of Georgia in the 2017 recruiting class. He is rated as a late first round pick by draft prognosticators. In ESPN draft expert Todd McShay’s first mock draft he projected him being drafted by the Cowboys who are picking at 17, Bleacherreport’s Matt Miller projects him picked at 31 by the San Francisco 49ers.

McKinney recorded 95 tackles, with three interceptions, returning one for a touchdown; he forced four fumbles and recovered one in 2019. Daniel Wright, Jordan Battle or incoming freshman Brian Branch will compete to fill McKinney’s role on the 2020 Crimson Tide defense. Keep it locked in with Tide 100.9fm, tide1009.com/listen-live and the TIDE APP for all your updates on the Alabama Crimson Tide.

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