Giants Country

This Giants Player Picked as Most Likely to Step Up in 2025

Tyler Nubin was selected as the most likely New York Giant to step up in 2025.

Evan Orris

Oct 6, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; New York Giants safety Tyler Nubin (31) celebrates after recovering a Seattle Seahawks fumble during the second half at Lumen Field.
Oct 6, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; New York Giants safety Tyler Nubin (31) celebrates after recovering a Seattle Seahawks fumble during the second half at Lumen Field. / Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
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After New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen could not bring back safety Xavier McKinney last offseason, the Giants drafted Tyler Nubin out of Minnesota in the second round to fill the void.

McKinney finished his first year in Green Bay with 88 tackles, eight interceptions, and 11 pass breakups and was in the discussion to win the Defensive MVP. While Nubin didn't replicate McKinney's breakout season, he showed flashes in his first season of becoming an impact player.

Pro Football Network believes Nubin could build off his rookie season and named him the Giants' player most likely to step up in 2025.

In his rookie year, Nubin stood out in the run game, recording 98 combined tackles and four tackles for losses, one forced fumble and recovery, and only four missed tackles (4.9% rate). 

He also forced 35 run stops in four games, including three straight nine-stop games against the Seahawks, Bengals, and Eagles and three straight 12-tackle performances.

The rookie finished 30th out of 171 eligible safeties with a 76.0 PFF run defense grade before an ankle injury in Week 13 ended his season.

New York Giants safety Tyler Nubin (31) during warmups before the game.
Oct 6, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; New York Giants safety Tyler Nubin (31) during warmups before the game against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images / Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Pass defense was a different story for Nubin. During his five-year career at Minnesota, he set a program record with 13 interceptions and ranked tied for eighth in school history with 24 pass breakups. However, he failed to record an interception in his rookie year and only recorded one pass deflection this season.

The 23-year-old was targeted 40 times, allowing 26 completions (65%) and 340 yards. However, he never surrendered a touchdown. Nubin finished with a putrid 58.1 pass coverage grade, ranking 102nd out of eligible safeties.

Before his injury, Nubin played in 790 snaps (96% of snaps) and finished with an overall PFF grade of 65.6 to finish as the 70th-ranked safety.

The Giants signed Jevón Holland to form a formidable duo in the defensive backfield and make up for his mistake last offseason. He also added Paulson Adebo to strengthen the cornerback unit.

Holland has played 62.3% of his snaps as a deep safety, 25.1% in the box, 11.1% in the nickel, and 1.5% as an outside cornerback throughout his career.

That type of versatility will open up the field for Nubin as well. If Holland plays more in the box, then Nubin could have a similar role to his time at Minnesota as a roaming safety.

In addition to on-the-field additions, the Giants brought in Marquand Manuel as their defensive secondary coach. Manuel spent the last four seasons as the Jets’ safeties coach. 

Last season, the Jets' safeties recorded four interceptions, one less than the Giant's defense. Manuel was also previously the Eagles’ defensive backs coach in 2020 and the Falcons’ defensive coordinator from 2017-2018.

With better talent and coaching around him, the stars are aligning for Nubin to have a potential breakout year in East Rutherford.

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Evan Orris
EVAN ORRIS

Evan Orris is a 2022 graduate of Indiana University. In college, he covered the Indiana Hoosiers football and men’s basketball teams for the Daily Hoosier and Hoosier Huddle. Evan also wrote for FanSided, the New York Post, and NBA.com. During his time with the Post, he covered the New York Giants and the New York Jets.

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