The New York Giants need some players to emerge in 2026 to lift them off the NFL’s scrap heap — more than that, they need stars. The Giants need players who can change games.
They might have 1 of those in 3rd-year safety Tyler Nubin, who PFF’s Gordon McGuinness put at the top of his list of players who could become the NFL’s breakout stars in 2026.
“Tyler Nubin put together a promising rookie season in 2024, earning a 65.8 PFF grade across 789 snaps,” McGuinness wrote on August 18. “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.”
Nubin has started 24 games over his 1st 2 seasons but has 1 big problem to overcome. Injuries have been a prevalent issue — he’s missed 8 games over the last 2 seasons, including a neck injury that landed him on season-ending injured reserve in 2025.
Tyler Nubin: From Big Ten Star to 2nd-Round Pick
Nubin, 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds, went from a high school star in the Chicago suburbs to a star in the Big Ten for the University of Minnesota.
With the Gophers and head coach P.J. Fleck, Nubin was a 2-time All-Big Ten selection and earned All-American honors as a senior in 2023 with 5 interceptions — part of his program-record 13 career interceptions.
NFL Draft analyst Lance Zierlein correctly predicted Nubin would be a 2nd-round pick in 2024 after he ran a barely-passable 4.59-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine.
“Talented safety prospect with the size, length and instincts that teams are looking for to shore up the back end,” Zierlein wrote. “Nubin has the ability to play as an interchangeable safety but will make his money as a ball thief. He’s rangy over the top in two-high safety looks and plays chess in the middle of the field, using instincts to think along with the quarterback and pounce on throws from an angle. He’s average in man coverage and might lack ideal top-end speed, but his anticipation and discipline help make up for that. He’s capable in run support, but his pursuit angles get him beat outside. Nubin’s traits, instincts, and ball skills give him an opportunity to become a successful long-term starter.”
Giants Secondary Still Very Much in Flux
While Nubin seems like he could become a star if he can stay healthy, the problems with the Giants‘ secondary beyond that seem to hinge more on who steps up their play.
Most notably, former 1st-round pick Deonte Banks, long considered a bust, seems to be making a push to earn back his place in the starting lineup under new head coach John Harbaugh and new defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson.
After being benched and relegated to a return specialist role in 2025, the No. 23 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft seemed destined for another season as a backup in 2026.
“There is serious competition for the Giants starting cornerback positions,” Big Blue Film Room wrote on its official X account on August 8. “Deonte Banks (is) in that mix. Banks ranked 112th out of 114 qualifying cornerbacks last season in PFF grade. But he’s earned rave reviews in camp in Dennard Wilson’s new system.”
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