The New York Giants deep secondary is going to feature a lot of new faces in the 2024 season, and one safety could find his way into a starting role right away as the team is searching for Xavier McKinney’s replacement, who left the Giants in free agency for the Green Bay Packers.
Giants safety Tyler Nubin is looking to make a name for himself this preseason
Second-round draft pick Tyler Nubin was outstanding during his time at the University of Minnesota, and New York was confident that he could be a major contributor to their defense instantly, which led to them taking him with the 47th overall pick in this past year’s draft.
According to Pro Football Network’s analysis of Nubin, the safety’s strengths include being a “fluid mover for his size” and an “explosive closer.” He also excels at playing in zone coverage. Some of their weaknesses were mostly in man coverage, and they noted that his speed is “closer to average than elite.” However, the Giants’ coaching staff can help him develop better man-to-man skills and potentially turn him into a versatile weapon in the secondary.
Giants coaches are impressed with Nubin so far
Nubin is expected to get plenty of reps against the Houston Texans. He has competition for the starting job as Dane Belton continues to turn some heads with his performances in training camp, and Nubin has to play catch-up to get the starting spot as he dealt with an injury at the start of camp.
However, the Giants coaches are very impressed with what Nubin has put on display so far. Defensive coordinator Shane Bowen lauded the safety’s fast improvements and is “encouraged” by what he has seen so far.
“He continues to get better. He continues to improve each day. I think the one thing with him is he’s finally out there. He’s healthy. We missed him those first two weeks,” Bowen said via Giants Wire. “And he’s had ground to make up to get back in that competition. He’s been good. He’s taking advantage of the opportunities. Doesn’t make the same mistake twice. I’ve been encouraged by where he’s at right now.”
Nubin could have a grand opportunity to prove that he can handle covering some of the league’s top receivers, as the Texans feature a pass-heavy offense behind quarterback C.J. Stroud and have a newcomer in Stefon Diggs who is one of the game’s best deep ball threats. This gives the 23-year-old safety much-needed experience at the pro level, and a solid performance could be enough for him to land the starting spot given the lack of depth at the strong safety position.