Tyler Nubin finished second on the Giants’ defense in tackles as a rookie, an eye-opening statistic when you consider he suffered an ankle injury Dec. 8 against the Saints and missed the final four games.
The Giants, who made Nubin the first safety taken in the 2024 draft with the 47th selection, envision even more of a leadership role for the 24-year-old in Year 2, now paired alongside free-agent signing Jevon Holland.
“I’m a big Nubin fan,” head coach Brian Daboll said before Thursday’s practice in East Rutherford. “Nubin is a pro. I think he’s a very young player, but he’s got tremendous leadership skills.
“He’s very, very smart. He’s vocal, not just on the field but in the team meetings, and I think it’s good to add Holland next to him, who’s another vocal guy who’s done it for a while. The combination of those two guys since OTAs has been very encouraging for me, and I know for the defensive staff.”
Holland was signed away from the Dolphins on a three-year deal worth $45.3 million, and the Giants also landed free-agent cornerback Paulson Adebo to fortify a revamped secondary.
“I think we definitely have a lot of similar skill sets,” Nubin said of Holland. “Things that he does are things that I Iike to emulate in the game.
“He’s a guy that I Iooked at a lot when I was in college [at Minnesota] coming into the league.”
As a rookie, Nubin finished behind only linebacker Micah McFadden on the Giants with 57 solo tackles and 98 combined in his 13 starts.
“Rookie year was a lot of learning, a lot of new experiences for me, but I’m glad I got ’em,” Nubin said. “All those experiences I can now put into my tool belt, into my Rolodex of things I can use to help myself be successful in the future.
“This year, I’m just focused on getting better every single day, and becoming a leader and leading by example. That’s really what I want to do.”
Nubin also has switched back to the uniform number he wore at Minnesota, 27, from the 31 he wore last season.
The number honors his late uncle, Steve King, a former defensive back at Michigan who died of a heart attack at just 41 in 2014. Nubin’s father, Rodney, also wore the number as a college player at Central Michigan.
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“I definitely want to keep this legacy going for the family,” Nubin said. “So it’s super special to get back in this number, for sure.”
Nubin was one of two rookie starters in the secondary last season — alongside nickel back Dru Phillips, who also returns.
“Tyler has helped me out so much. It was almost like last year he wasn’t even a rookie,” Phillips said. “That kid is so smart, he came in and knew the playbook from Day 1.
“It was cool coming in with him because he helped me out, like I helped him out sometimes. We definitely build off each other.”