It is 2020 after all. The New York Giants couldn’t escape the injury bug before the regular season even started, with second-round pick Xavier McKinney fracturing his left foot and reserve linebacker David Mayo picking up a torn meniscus.
McKinney, who is expected to be a focal point on defense in the secondary, will now miss significant time before making his debut. It is possible he will miss the entire 2020 season, as he will undergo surgery on Wednesday with foot specialist Dr. Martin O’Malley.
The Giants are HIT HARD with two injured…
Xavier McKinney has a fracture in his left foot and David Mayo has a torn meniscus.#NYG
— Alex Wilson (@AlexWilsonESM) August 26, 2020
The Alabama product has looked stellar during training camp so far, forcing several turnovers and exciting the defense with his quality of play. In 2019 with the Crimson Tide, he racked up seven turnovers and displayed a keen ability to move up to the line of scrimmage and play well against the run as well as act as a ball hawk.
As for Mayo, he will undergo surgery on Thursday, after spending his first season with the Giants in 2019. The six-year veteran played in all 16 games for Big Blue, including 13 starts after rookie Ryan Connolly went down with a torn ACL. He had a career-best 80 tackles and earned 2.0 sacks.
The New York Giants are already thin on defense:
Losing these two players is a significant hit to an already thin defense. The secondary is missing a starter at the number two corner position and now free safety is up for grabs. However, young defender Julian Love will supplement the loss of McKinney at free safety, as he’s been working primarily there with the Giants during padded practices.
As for a middle linebacker, the Giants signed Blake Martinez with a three-year deal to act as one of their starters. With Mayo now scheduled to miss significant time, the hopes are that Connelly can regain his health and be ready for the start of the regular season in three weeks.