What Giants Defensive Coordinator Shane Bowen Wants to See This Summer

Bowen has a straightforward request of his players, whether they're rookies or seasoned veterans.

East Rutherford, NJ — May 10, 2024 -- Second-round draft pick safety Tyler Nubin as the NY Giants hold their Rookie Camp and introduce their new draft picks. / Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com / USA

The “shine” from the 2024 draft is over, as far as the New York Giants coaches are concerned, meaning that when training camp starts in a couple of weeks, it won’t necessarily matter where a player was drafted–if he was drafted at all–when they start to fill out the rep chart.

The way to a coach’s heart? Get a little better every day.

That’s what defensive coordinator Shane Bowen said when asked about Giants rookie safety Tyler Nubin, the team’s second-round draft pick. 

Nubin was regarded by many draft analysts as one of the best prospects in his class. Still, when it came time to step into a role with the Giants during the OTAs and mandatory minicamp, the rookie seemed to be behind veteran Dane Belton for regular snaps with the first-team defense.

That’s not necessarily a sign of what’s to come nor a reason to panic. It's simply a sign of what Nubin, according to Bowen, has to do to make it a competition with Belton, Jalen Mills, and Gervarrius Owens.

“He’s got to get better every day,” Bowen said of Nubin. “My expectation for all the young guys and every single guy that we have in this building, undrafted, second-round draft pick, first-round draft pick–like it doesn't matter what you did, it matters what you do when you're here.”

Naturally, one would expect that considering all the time and work that goes into vetting a draft pick, a team could at least expect the players selected in the first three rounds to make a significant contribution either as a starter or key role player. Sometimes, though, that’s not always the case for whatever reason, as it’s up to the player to put the time in and stay out of the trainer’s room.

To his credit, Nubin has put in the time since arriving in East Rutherford from the University of Minnesota. While he hasn't been perfect–none of the rookies or veterans have been–the coaching staff seems willing to be patient with the rest of the young players they have on the roster.

“For us, the expectation is that we're going to play well. They're gonna figure it out,” said defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson when asked about his relatively young group of defensive backs that also includes third-round pick Andru Phillips, a cornerback. 

“Obviously, there's some growing that we all have to do, me included. And, everybody in the secondary and we'll put in the work to get there. 

“I don't expect it to be an easy process. I don't expect this to be, 'Just throw it out there, and it looks like you want it to look.' It's going to be some growing pains, lumps along the way,” he continued. 

“And hopefully, you know, we think that we have guys who will figure it out, and we'll work their butt off to figure it out and to compete and to play tough. And we hope that shows up on Sunday.”

Henderson’s sentiments echo what Bowen expects from Nubin and the others competing for roles on the Giants defense.    

“My expectation for them: be better than you were yesterday. When the opportunities come, make the plays,” he said. 

“They're going to earn their role. It ain't on us. We're going to coach the hell out of them and give them every opportunity they can imagine. We're going to try to get them in the best spots that fit their skill sets. When the time comes, they have to make the plays and show they deserve more.” 

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