Xavier McKinney has been worth his weight in (green and) gold for the Packers

   

He was the Green Bay Packers' big offseason free agency addition, and he's already paid huge dividends for the team.

McKinney has been worth his weight in (green and) gold for Packers

Green Bay general manager Brian Gutekunst went out and gave safety Xavier McKinney a four-year, $67M contract and he proved himself to be one of the top safeties in the league over his first four seasons with the New York Giants.

The Packers aren't known for making big splashes via free agency, usually, but Gutekunst realized that the defense had a massive hole in it at safety last season — which, along with a kicker, potentially cost them a trip to the NFC Championship game — and he spent the money to make it right.

It was a risk, the risk you take with any free agent, but through two games, McKinney has proven to be worth his weight in gold.

Not only does Green Bay have its first star at the safety position since Nick Collins, but McKinney has quickly proven to have Charles Woodson-esque playmaking ability.

That's not to directly compare McKinney to Woodson — a Hall of Famer — but it has been since Woodson last played that the Packers have had a safety who is able to read so much with his eyes in order to put himself in the perfect position downfield to capitalize on a quarterback's mistakes.

Against the Philadelphia Eagles, it was this play:

Against the Indianapolis Colts, McKinney once again patrolled the middle of the field like an All-Star center fielder.

Taking safety from arguably Green Bay's biggest defensive weakness to likely its strength, McKinney has been worth every penny for the Packers so far.