Pro Football Focus released their list of the top 101 players from the 2023 NFL season earlier this week and two New York Giants made the cut.
Interestingly, running back Saquon Barkley, who is an impending free agent, was not among them.
The first Giant to crack the rankings was linebacker Bobby Okereke, who dominated in his first season with the team and deserved both Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors.
Okereke debuted at No. 91 on PFF’s list.
Okereke had an excellent year in Wink Martendale’s aggressive Giants defense. His athleticism and range allowed him to post an 82.5 PFF coverage grade, and he allowed an 89.1 passer rating into his coverage, some 15 points lower than the league average for linebackers.
The next Giant on the list was ranked much higher with safety Xavier McKinney checking in at No. 57.
The high points we saw from McKinney this year in Wink Martindale’s aggressive defense were spectacular, with none better than his final game of the season, in which he brought in two interceptions against the Eagles. McKinney has become a do-it-all threat in the secondary.
Both Okereke and McKinney were among the best defenders in the league under Martindale, which is even more significant for McKinney because he played in a role that may not have been designed for his strengths.
Like Barkley, McKinney was not tagged by the Giants at the deadline and is expected to become an unrestricted free agent next week.
