There are a few positives to take away for the New York Giants despite their 1-3 start to the season. For one, the Giants’ rookie class has been spectacular, contributing big minutes and big plays week in and week out. Second-round safety Tyler Nubin has not missed out on a single one of those minutes and has quickly established himself as a core piece of the Giants’ defense through the first four weeks of his career.
Tyler Nubin has been among the Giants’ most reliable players this season
It’s not often that a team finds a rookie in the second round that they can consider one of their most dependable players through the first few weeks of the season. But Nubin has been one of the team’s most dependable players, having been on the field for 100% of the Giants’ defensive snaps through four weeks. He joins star linebacker Bobby Okereke as one of the only two players to accomplish this feat.
Nubin has played all 250 of the team’s snaps this season and put up an impressive stat line. His 21 total tackles on the season are tied with fellow safety Jason Pinnock for the fourth-most on the team. He’s also added one forced fumble and posted solid numbers in coverage.
Quarterbacks have targeted receivers in Nubin’s coverage 10 times this season. The rookie safety has surrendered only five receptions on 10 targets (50% completion rate) for 73 yards and zero touchdowns. He also has not been charged with a missed tackle yet on the season.
Nubin has been solid against both the run and the pass this year. He is developing into one of the Giants’ most reliable players, despite being a rookie. Getting quality play out of Nubin in his rookie season was crucial for the Giants following the departure of one of their stars in the secondary this offseason.
Nubin is filling big shoes as a rookie
The addition of Nubin came out of necessity following the subtraction of star safety Xavier McKinney in free agency. The Giants allowed McKinney to test the market and he subsequently signed with the Green Bay Packers, leaving a massive void to fill on the back end of their defense.
McKinney has looked like one of the best free-agent signings of the offseason through the first month of the season. He’s totaled 17 combined tackles and a league-leading four interceptions in only four games. While these numbers are elite, it is not surprising to see McKinney making such an impact. He played 100% of the Giants’ defensive snaps last season, totaling 116 combined tackles and three interceptions on the campaign.
After losing those elite stat totals from McKinney, the Giants needed to add some more talent to their safety room. Thankfully, they were able to land Nubin in the second round of the draft, despite many draft analysts considering him the top safety at his position in the 2024 NFL Draft class.
The Giants’ secondary has been a banged-up and underperforming unit so far this season. But it is also a young, inexperienced group with plenty of potential. Nubin has had his highs and lows but the potential is definitely on display. Once these youngsters in the defensive backfield start to develop, the Giants might have an exciting secondary.
