One of the biggest needs for the New York Giants following the 2025 season was addressing their secondary. By drafting Colton Hood, bringing Jason Pinnock back, and signing Greg Newsome II, they did just that.
However, after a stellar preseason performance, it looks like third-year safety Tyler Nubin could be the difference for this unit as we enter 2026.
According to Pro Football Focus' Gordon McGuinness, the numbers show that Nubin was Big Blue’s highest-graded player after three preseason games. Nubin allowed just one pass completion when he was the primary defender, which helped him earn a 91.4 coverage grade. According to PFF, he was the second-highest-graded defensive player in the league.
For the Nubin truthers, this is exactly what they needed to see. After the Giants failed to re-sign Xavier McKinney, Nubin had huge shoes to fill on the back end of the defensive side of the ball. Unfortunately, for the most part, Nubin hasn’t quite lived up to the billing. In two seasons, quarterbacks are completing nearly 69 percent of passes thrown Nubin’s way, and Nubin has yet to record an interception as a pro.
A breakout year for Nubin could be the difference for the Giants’ defense
If the preseason is any indicator, it looks like Nubin is ready to flip the script on the narrative around him. For a defensive unit that finished in the bottom half of the league in pass defense and No. 24 in interceptions, the G-Men need more of the type of play Nubin showed this preseason.
This team has been starving for elite secondary play for what feels like a decade, and the former second-round pick could be the one to provide it.
Maybe it’s because preseason competition isn’t the strongest or because Nubin is simply a better fit in new defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson’s scheme, but whatever the reason, it’s hard not to feel encouraged by Nubin’s play.
The 25-year-old was rated by some as the best safety in his draft class, and it looks like after a couple of years of growing pains, he’s starting to show why those people were so high on him.
Everyone already knows how formidable the Giants’ pass rush is going to be. If Nubin can become the anchor of a shored-up secondary, this defense suddenly becomes a lot more complete. And if his preseason performance is any indication of what’s to come, Big Blue could be ahead of schedule when it comes to building one of the better young defenses in football.
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