If we discussed the most disappointing New York Giants draft picks in recent memory, Tyler Nubin would be near the top of the list, even though Evan Neal and Jalin Hyatt are still here (for now).
Nubin has struggled in coverage so much he may play himself out of the starting lineup. He's competing with Ar'Darius Washington and Jason Pinnock to be the starting safety next to Jevon Holland. When you look at that, things feel pretty hopeless, but not all hope is lost quite yet.
Nube was great as a rookie, recording nearly 100 tackles in 13 starts, but his numbers fell off last season as he fell victim to a horrible Giants defense. But this defense is expected to improve in 2026, so while going over a breakout candidate for all 32 NFL teams, PFF's Gordon McGuinness named the young safety as his pick for Big Blue.
"Tyler Nubin put together a promising rookie season in 2024, earning a 65.8 PFF grade across 789 snaps," McGuinness wrote. "His overall production dipped in Year 2, though he did improve in coverage, raising his PFF coverage grade from 58.1 to 60.0. Entering his third NFL season, don’t be surprised if Nubin generates more buzz, particularly if he can recapture the level of run defense he showed as a rookie."
Tyler Nubin has a chance to break out for the New York Giants in Year 3
McGuinness' argument came down to expecting Nubin to take another step forward as a run defender, but improvements don't just fall out of the sky. There's a real reason to bank on him to finally take another step forward this season.
Big Blue has an entirely new coaching staff, and most importantly, a new defensive coordinator in Dennard Wilson. If the guy had a promising rookie year playing for Shane Bowen, there's no telling what a stronger braintrust of Giants coaches can unlock in the 2024 second-round draft pick.
Wilson's main speciality is developing defensive backs, as he was a DB coach in Baltimore and Philadelphia before becoming a DC. However, some of his best work was with safeties. He worked with future All-Pro Kyle Hamilton in 2023, and C.J. Gardner-Johnson led the NFL in interceptions under his tutelage in 2022. He also worked with a young Jamal Adams while he was with the New York Jets.
For all the talk that the G-Men may relegate the Minnesota product to a bench role, there's no reason to do so just yet. He's only 25 and is under contract through next season, so if Wilson and this new staff plays to his strengths, they'll use his anticipation to help him create takeaways over the middle.
Tyler Nubin certainly hasn’t exceeded expectations just yet, but Dennard Wilson could be exactly the coach to help unlock him and ignite the breakout season we’ve been waiting for.
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