Brandon Brown, the New York Giants’ assistant general manager, has been making waves in NFL circles, but not necessarily for what he’s done lately in New York.
Brown is a finalist for the Las Vegas Raiders’ GM job, with his second interview signaling serious interest from the Silver and Black. As the 35-year-old continues to rise in the NFL executive ranks, the Giants might be looking at losing one of their brightest front-office minds.
But here’s the kicker: while Brown’s potential departure stings, Pro Football Focus (subscription required) just twisted the knife. PFF recently named Giants rookie safety Tyler Nubin as the team’s top breakout candidate for 2025. Nubin wasn’t just another pick for the Giants last year—he was a Brown favorite, someone the executive championed throughout the pre-draft process.
Losing Brown to the Raiders would mean not only bidding farewell to a front-office talent who helped shape the team’s future but also losing the man who envisioned Nubin’s success. Talk about a brutal double whammy for a team already licking its wounds from a 3-14 season.
Brandon Brown manifested Tyler Nubin’s success
When the Giants selected Tyler Nubin in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, Brown couldn’t hide his excitement. Reflecting on the pick, Brown famously said, “I feel like I got one of my favorite foods on discount. He can become an alpha of alphas.” Those words now feel prophetic.
"I feel like I got one of my favorite foods on discount. He can become an alpha of alphas."
— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) May 30, 2024
Brandon Brown shouts out scout Hannah Burnett when talking about why the Giants targeted and drafted Tyler Nubin: pic.twitter.com/tpUO6d2Krv
Nubin quickly became one of the Giants’ most reliable defenders during his rookie season, playing nearly every defensive snap before an injury cut his year short. His tackling and run defense stood out, earning him PFF grades of 76.0 and 79.4, respectively. Sure, his ball-hawking skills didn’t translate to an interception-filled rookie campaign, but his 93 combined tackles—good for second on the team—proved he’s a cornerstone piece for New York’s future.
But Brown’s influence on Nubin’s success runs deeper than stats. The Giants targeted Nubin largely because of Brown’s advocacy and the work of area scout Hannah Burnett, whom Brown credited with a “painless” pre-draft process.
Brown’s vision wasn’t just about filling a hole at safety—it was about identifying a leader for the secondary, someone who could set the tone for years to come.
If Brown lands the Raiders job, it’ll be a huge win for him but a potentially crushing blow for the Giants. Sure, New York would receive compensatory third-round picks thanks to the NFL’s Rooney Rule, but it’s hard to see those picks replacing what Brown brought to the table. His ability to spot talent like Nubin doesn’t come around often, and while Schoen runs the show in East Rutherford, Brown’s fingerprints are all over the team’s recent drafts.
As PFF and Giants fans alike look ahead to Nubin’s breakout potential in 2025, it’s bittersweet to imagine a future where the executive who believed in him most is helping another franchise rebuild. For the Giants, the loss of Brown would be another chapter in a story that’s becoming all too familiar: letting their best assets flourish somewhere else.