New York Giants safety Tyler Nubin had an impressive debut season, leading all rookies in tackles and playing competently in coverage.
While Nubin was especially solid against the run (four tackles for a loss, 22 run stops), he did not generate a turnover. That was a far cry from the 13 interceptions he logged at Minnesota, including a career-best five as a second-year senior.
Now entering his sophomore campaign in the NFL, Nubin is being relied upon to round out his game and have more of a defensive impact — something he also expects of himself.
“I got a lot of goals for myself this year, but I’m going to keep those to myself. I’m going to let my play speak for it and let everybody else decide what it is at the end of the day,” Nubin told reporters on Thursday. “I always want to be an impact player. That’s what I pride myself on, is being somebody that when it’s crunch time I’m going to show up.”
In addition to becoming a more impactful player, Nubin intends to assume a leadership role in the secondary despite the added presence of veterans Jevon Holland and Paulson Adebo.
“This year, I’m really just focused on just getting better. Just getting better every single day and becoming a leader, and leading by example. That’s really what I want to do,” he said.
Those are lofty goals for a young player, but Nubin has at least one true believer in his corner: Head coach Brian Daboll.
“Nubin is a pro. I think he’s a very young player. He’s got tremendous leadership skills. He’s very, very smart,” Daboll said. “He’s vocal, not just on the field but in the team meeting, 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, in terms of the communication, the adjustments you need to make when you get into a different formation. The safeties are kind of the quarterbacks of the defense, particularly in the back end, to make sure everything is aligned and good to go. Nubin is not just a good player; he’s a good person, and he’s a good leader. He’s got a lot of good traits. I’m a big Nubin fan.”
The potential for Nubin is there. Now he just has to stay healthy, remain on the field, and put it all together. Supertsardom is calling.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Giants’ Tyler Nubin sets sights on becoming an ‘impact player’
