3 Most Likely NFL Teams to Draft Xavier McKinney

Up there with LSU's Grant Delpit, Alabama safety Xavier McKinney is ranked at the top end of the position heading into the 2020 NFL Draft. McKinney is a free safety by trade, but offers versatility to NFL teams as an accomplished slot corner during his time at 'Bama. The DB has also had notable experience on special teams throughout his college career.

Because of his athleticism and ability to play multiple positions, some think McKinney's stock could still rise on draft day, but right now he is still projected to go in the bottom half of the first round. These three franchises are top contenders to draft the safety.

3. Miami Dolphins

Minkah Fitzpatrick provided the Dolphins with a first round pick when he was sent packing to Pittsburgh, they might use that pick on his replacement. / Mark Brown/Getty Images

The Miami Dolphins have a ton of needs, but after trading Minkah Fitzpatrick, almost a carbon copy of Xavier McKinney in terms of versatility and style of play, to the Pittsburgh Steelers, McKinney could be an easy filler of at least one void. The Dolphins also have three first round selections in 2020, at No. 5, 18, and 27. They could move up or down at any moment on day one of the draft, but even if they stand pat, McKinney should be on the board at 18 and could possibly even fall to them at 27th overall.

2. New England Patriots

With Devin McCourty's future unclear, safety could be a need for New England. / Billie Weiss/Getty Images

A lot of questions still remain regarding the New England Patriots this off-season, the elephant-sized one being Tom Brady. Once the future Hall of Fame quarterback makes his decision, the rest of the dominoes should begin to fall for the Pats. One huge domino is second team All-Pro safety Devin McCourty. Turning 33 before the 2020 season begins, McCourty has not lost a step, and was one of the main reason the Pats D was so dominant last season. He is also set to become an unrestricted free agent, and would probably like one more nice paycheck before he eventually retires. Cap space is a legitimate problem for the Patriots already in 2020, especially if they hope to bring back Brady, but McKinney could be an affordable replacement for the veteran McCourty at the 23rd pick.

1. San Francisco 49ers

The Niners' D was tremendous in 2019, but McKinney could be the missing piece that makes them unstoppable in 2020. / Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

The San Francisco 49ers have the 31st pick in the draft, so if you believe McKinney's stock is on the rise, the Niners may be out of luck. Looking at this roster however, San Francisco could be the perfect fit in terms of need, as their secondary was one of the few weak spots in their phenomenal defense. Whether McKinney mostly plays free safety or slot for the 49ers (they might need a slot more right now), the team has question marks at both. If the Alabama DB is still available in the second round, it might even be possible that San Fran trades up to get him, with their championship window open and waiting in 2020.

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Michael Obermuller is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Michael Obermuller also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username king_mizzard. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.