Tyler Nubin’s path with the Giants has already turned into one of the more frustrating storylines on the roster, but the door to a real Year 3 jump is still open.
The safety has had a rough time in coverage, enough that he could work his way out of the starting lineup. He’s battling Ar'Darius Washington and Jason Pinnock for the job next to Jevon Holland, and that competition alone says plenty about where things stand. Still, there’s at least one reason to keep the breakout talk alive: the Giants are expecting a better defense in 2026, and PFF’s Gordon McGuinness picked Nubin as New York’s candidate to pop.
"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."
That last part is the key. McGuinness is betting on Nubin finding that extra gear as a run defender, but there’s more behind the optimism than just wishful thinking. The Giants have a completely new coaching staff, and that matters most with Dennard Wilson taking over as defensive coordinator.
Wilson has a strong track record with defensive backs, and safeties in particular. He coached DBs in Baltimore and Philadelphia before becoming a DC, and his resume includes work with Kyle Hamilton in 2023, C.J. Gardner-Johnson during his NFL-interception-leading 2022 season, and a younger Jamal Adams with the New York Jets.
For a player who entered the league as a 2024 second-round pick and is still just 25, this is the kind of coaching change that could actually matter. Nubin doesn’t need a miracle; he needs a staff that can put him in the right spots and lean into what he does well. His anticipation should give him chances to make plays over the middle, and if Wilson can tap into that, the Giants may finally get the version of Nubin they’ve been waiting for.
He hasn’t lived up to the hype yet, but the setup is better now than it has been before.
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