The New York Giants lost one of the premier safeties in the NFL this offseason, as Xavier McKinney signed with the Green Bay Packers in free agency, but may have just dropped the best safety in this year’s draft into the secondary to replace him.
After selecting electrifying former LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers No. 6 overall, and dropping him into quarterback Daniel Jones’ supporting cast, Giants general manager Joe Schoen came back in Round 2 and selected former Minnesota safety Tyler Nubin to retool the secondary.
Pro Football Focus’ Trevor Sikkemma suggests Nubin was the premier safety in this year’s class and an ideal fit for New York’s defense.
“PFF’s top-ranked safety prospect,” Sikkemma writes. “Nubin is versatile and impactful. He can be moved all over the secondary and handle the role, as he possesses a high-level football IQ and can stop the run with instincts to cover on the back end. Nubin sported a career-best 90.1 coverage grade in 2023 (first among Power Five safeties) and allowed a 33.0 passer rating in coverage from 2021 to 2023.”
Nubin is an immediate plug-and-play starter on the back-end of a Giants secondary in the midst of a rebuild.
Last season, Nubin produced 53 total tackles with one sack, one tackle for loss, while intercepting five passes and breaking up four more.
“I think his speed is the only thing you kind of worry about,” an AFC Scouting Director told NFL Media. “His tackling is OK but can get better. He’s very instinctive and he’s a good player. He’ll go in [Round] 2.”
It will be interesting to see how the New York Giants deploy Nubin this upcoming season.
If Nubin lives up to his potential as a rookie, the Giants could wind up fielding one of the league’s most improved secondaries.
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