Tag: tyler nubin

2024 NFL draft: Giants select safety Tyler Nubin in Round 2

With the No. 47 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, the New York Giants select Minnesota safety Tyler Nubin.

With the 47th overall pick in the second round of the 2024 NFL draft, the New York Giants have selected Minnesota safety Tyler Nubin.

Entering Round 2, the Giants were in search of defensive tackles and help in the secondary. But with a run on the former and then a run on cornerbacks, they pivoted and landed the talented Nubin, who will replace the departed Xavier McKinney (Green Bay Packers).

Before the start of Day 2, Giants Wire identified Nubin as a potential target for Big Blue. That was s sentiment shared by ESPN’s Steve Muench.

“The Giants did well to land wide receiver Malik Nabers in the first round, and now they address another hole by adding Nubin, my second-ranked safety,” he said.

The 22-year-old Nubin finished his Minnesota career with a school record 13 interceptions to go along with 207 tackles, 2.0 sacks and 11 passes defensed.

At 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds, Nubin has good size that’s matched with good strength. He’s a versatile safety who can play in the box and stop the run or drop back into centerfield, which is likely where defensive coordinator Shane Bowen will use him.

NFL Network draft insider Lance Zierlein gave Nubin a pro comparison of Marcus Williams.

Talented safety prospect with the size, length and instincts that teams are looking for to shore up the back end. 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.

Although Nubin’s top-end speed may be a bit of a concern, he is likely to start for the Giants on Day 1.

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Texans add 3 defensive pieces in latest Mel Kiper Jr. three-round mock draft

In the latest three-round mock draft from ESPN, the Houston Texans revamp their secondary and defensive line.

Even after an expensive offseason in acquiring talent, the Houston Texans still have several defensive holes entering draft weekend. Defensive tackle, cornerback, linebacker and safety depth all remain weak points heading into the regular season.

A trio of those positions were recently addressed in ESPN’s latest three-round mock draft.

In a combined effort from Mel Kiper Jr. and Field Yates, the Texans bolstered their defensive line with the addition of LSU’s Maason Smith at pick No. 42.  Seventeen picks later, Houston adds another SEC star on the boundary to play opposite Derek Stingley Jr. in Georgia’s Kamari Lassiter.

At pick No. 86, the Texans walk away with one of the steals of the draft in Minnesota safety Tyler Nubin. All three players have at least two years of starting experience and have played in what many consider the more aggressive conference in college football.

Smith, a 6-foot-5 defensive tackle, likely would have garnered first-round buzz if not for a torn ACL suffered in the season-opener against Florida State in 2022. He possesses all the traits Texans coach DeMeco Ryans covets in a pass-rushing three-tech up the middle to create havoc in the interior.

“The Texans must continue to bulk up on the inside,” Yates wrote. “Smith is an upside swing for Houston; he has the raw tools to become a disruptor as both a pass-rusher and run-defender.”

Lassiter, a fan favorite at pick No. 42, should compete for starting reps alongside Desmond King in the nickel and Jeff Okudah on the edge. At 6-foot, most would consider him undersized, but the two-year starter loves contact and isn’t afraid to get physical when asked to play in man coverage.

“Lassiter doesn’t have the elite speed, but he’s a really solid corner,” wrote Kiper.  “The Texans ranked 29th in the league in yards per pass attempt allowed (7.7) last season.”

Nubin, who recorded 13 interceptions in five seasons with the Golden Gophers, is a ball-hawking machine that baits quarterbacks into throwing his way. Since 2021, the 6-foot-2 200-pounder has recorded at least three picks and two pass breakups.

“Perhaps no safety in the class has better ball skills than Nubin, who finds his way to the football constantly,” wrote Yates. “He had 13 interceptions in college, including five in 2023.”

The Texans own nine picks in the upcoming draft, several of which should be dedicated to drafting defense. Houston bolstered its front seven with the additions of Denico Autry, Azeez Al-Shaair and four-time Pro Bowler Danielle Hunter, but still could use another interior tackle beyond Smith following the departures of Maliek Collins and Sheldon Rankins.

Could the Bucs throw a curveball in the 1st round?

Chaos reigns in the NFL draft every year, but could that include the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ first-round pick this year?

If you look at most mock projections for the 2024 NFL draft, you’ll see the same usual suspects landing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the No. 26 overall pick.

It’s usually an edge rusher, an interior offensive lineman, or a cornerback. Every now and then, you’ll even find a projection that has the Bucs taking advantage of this year’s loaded wide receiver class with their top selection.

But what if they throw a curveball, and make a selection that comes out of left field?

That’s the scenario that was recently broken down by the Bucs’ in-house team of Scott Smith and Casey Phillips, who broke down a trio of prospects Tampa Bay could grab late in the first round:

While Minnesota’s Tyler Nubin might be a solid fit for the Bucs’ safety depth on Day 2, his poor athletic testing will likely keep him out of the first round. Oregon’s Bo Nix is far more likely to land with a QB-needy team like the Denver Broncos in the first round than as Tampa Bay’s replacement for Kyle Trask, and spending their top pick on a quarterback after signing Baker Mayfield to a big extension makes little sense.

Oklahoma’s Tyler Guyton is an intriguing tackle prospect, but Luke Goedeke made huge strides last season after being moved back to his natural position on the right side opposite Tristan Wirfs. The Bucs are set at both tackle spots for the time being.

It’s always fun to consider off-the-wall scenarios for a process like the draft, which always delivers some measure of chaos. But it seems extremely far-fetched that any of these three prospects will be selected by the Bucs in the first round.

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ESPN list All-American safety as “perfect fit” for Texans

The Houston Texans need to upgrade their safety room and ESPN believes Minnesota’s Tyler Nubin is the ideal fit for DeMeco Ryans’ defense.

Even after spending over $142 million this offseason, the Houston Texans still could use an upgrade to their secondary. More specifically, Houston could be in the market for another safety.

Barring a last-second swing at one of the remaining free agents, pivoting toward the draft might be general manager Nick Caserio’s best plan of adding competition to the back end. With two picks in the second round, one could be used to add a more nuanced defender who can be a constant in coverage downfield.

Everything for the Texans is about fit. After splurging to land talents like Danielle Hunter, Joe Mixon and Stefon Diggs, Houston is swinging for a shot at the Super Bowl in 2024, so adding a prospect with upside does little to the immediate plans.

One prospect to monitor? Minnesota All-American Tyler Nubin. According to ESPN’s Matt Bowen, the three-year starter is a “perfect fit” for DeMeco Ryans’ defensive formation.

Nubin is an easy fit for DeMeco Ryans’ defense given his coverage awareness, demeanor, and ability to create production on the ball. In Houston, Nubin could run the alleys and play top down from split-field alignments, and he has the post instincts to patrol the middle third of the field as a center fielder. Nubin, who had 13 career interceptions for the Gophers, also has special teams upside on coverage units. – ESPN
Nubin was a human highlight reel during his time with the Golden Gophers. A physical tackler with a knack for playing the run, the 6-foot-2 defensive back flew to the football and was a constant for P.J. Fleck’s secondary.
Turnovers, however, are where Nubin shined. His 13 interceptions were a Big Ten record over three seasons, but he also was credited with 11 pass breakups.
Jalen Pitre and Jimmie Ward played well against the run, though Pitre was credited with 14 missed tackles. Both struggled at times playing deep in man coverage, often leading to explosive plays and a fresh set of downs for the offense.
Adding Nubin shouldn’t remove either player from the field. Pitre, a former second-round pick, won Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year during his final season at Baylor while lining up as the ‘STAR’ or nickel defender.
Ward, who joined Ryans following his stint with the San Francisco 49ers, began his career in the Bay Area as a nickel-only defensive back before transitioning to safety in 2018. He also moved back down to the nickel spot in 2022 as the 49ers pushed their way to another NFC championship appearance following the emergence of Talanoa Hufanga.
The Texans, who finished 23rd in pass coverage, only recorded 14 interceptions, nine of which came from Derek Stingley Jr. and Steven Nelson. Stingley is locked up at least through the 2025 season and is viewed as the long-term No. 1 corner. Nelson remains a free agent, but a reunion feels unlikely after the Texans signed former first-rounders Jeff Okudah and C.J. Henderson.
Nubin could be the missing piece that transcends the Texans from playoff contender to Super Bowl front-runner. Safety should be addressed at some point during the draft, and the Texans’ first pick in Round 2 might be Nubin’s floor after a bountiful free agency.

Graham Barton, Tyler Nubin are most popular picks for Packers on PFF’s mock simulator

The two most popular picks for the Packers in PFF’s mock draft simulator? Duke OL Graham Barton and Minnesota S Tyler Nubin.

A versatile offensive lineman and a playmaking safety are the two most popular selections for the Green Bay Packers when users simulate mock drafts at Pro Football Focus, according to the site.

Per PFF, Duke’s Graham Barton is the most popular pick for the Packers with the No. 25 overall pick in the first round. Minnesota’s Tyler Nubin is a close second behind Barton, and he’s also the most popular pick for the Packers with each of their two second-round picks (No. 41, No. 58).

Both picks make a lot of sense, both within the simulator and reality. Barton, a left tackle for Duke, is an elite athlete who could move inside and be an immediate starter at guard or center. He is PFF’s No. 25 overall player in the class, so Barton not only fills a need but is also typically available and one of the top players available for the Packers within the simulator. Nubin, who set the Minnesota record with 13 career interceptions, could provide the Packers with another playmaker at safety alongside Xavier McKinney. He is PFF’s No. 26 overall player, so, like Barton, he’s a good fit need-wise and usually available for the Packers at No. 25 in the simulator.

Nubin, one of only two safeties in PFF’s top 50 players, is the most popular pick within the simulator for four different teams in the second round: Cardinals, Colts, Rams and Packers (at No. 41 and 58).

The mock draft simulator at PFF is available here.

2024 NFL Draft: Minnesota safety Tyler Nubin scouting report

Minnesota safety Tyler Nubin has just about every attribute required for NFL success… if he can just clean up a few rogue elements.

After Antoine Winfield Jr. left Minnesota and became a star safety with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2020 NFL draft, it was eventually up to Nubin to be the tone-setter in the back of the Golden Gophers’ defense. Nubin really started to live up to that in the 2021 season when, in 341 coverage snaps, he allowed eight catches on 26 targets for 128 yards, 35 yards after the catch, one touchdown, three interceptions, three pass breakups, and an absurd opponent passer rating of 21.5.

In the two seasons since, the 6-foot-1, 191-pound Nubin has been one of the NCAA’s most efficient coverage safeties. In 2023, he gave up six catches on 20 targets for 90 yards, 38 yards after the catch, two touchdowns, five interceptions, four pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 39.6.

There are a few things about Nubin’s NFL transition that cause a bit of concern that don’t show up in the metrics, but are obvious on tape. He’s got the capacity to be a top-tier deep-third safety at the next level if he works those things out. He’s not at Winfield’s level when Winfield came out of college, but the tools are impressive, and the development curve could be highly rewarding.

PLUSES
 
— Smart, aggressive defender in coverage when he’s got the target in front of him and can use his smooth backpedal to match and cover.
 
— Very quick to hide in the weeds and jump routes for pass breakups and interceptions; Nubin has a great sense for that.
 
— Will use that sense of timing to break to receivers and prevent receptions with hits.
 
— Has the open-field speed and lateral agility to credibly cover sideline-to-sideline when he’s in single-high, or half the field when in two-high.
 
— Comes down like a shot from the box and deep third to tackle at the line of scrimmage; when it works, it’s great. When it doesn’t, well…
 
MINUSES
 
— Recovery speed at the turn of the route is inconsistent; there are times when he’s on his target, and other times, he’ll be a step behind.
 
— Needs to work over the receiver too often and can run into trouble in tight spaces.
 
— Can be waylaid from the box to the deep third by receivers running quicker, more angular routes.
 
— Needs to process run fits more accurately; reads can be predetermined and he’ll hit the wrong gap.

— Similarly, he’s not always accurate with his tackling angles, and it shows up pretty clearly on tape. He had 35 missed tackles through his career at Minnesota.

Nubin has a ton of talent, and I’d love him in a quarters-heavy defense, but his NFL team will have work to do with run fits, tackling, and decisiveness in coverage. He’s not a project per se, but I’d struggle a lot with a first-round grade. I’d also like to see him in the box more often so he’s not trying to get to running backs from 20 yards upfield all the time.

 

How a bumper crop of unexpected free agents impacts the safety class in the 2024 NFL draft

How a bumper crop of unexpected free agents impacts the safety class in the 2024 NFL draft

It’s hard to get draft analysts and talent evaluators to agree on pretty much anything, but it’s difficult to find anyone bullish on this year’s draft class at safety. It became a bit of a parlor game during last week’s NFL Scouting Combine to try and figure out if any safeties would be selected before the end of the second round of the 2024 NFL draft.

It’s not a strong safety class. In my personal rankings, two safeties are ranked in the top 50: Utah’s Cole Bishop and Minnesota’s Tyler Nubin. They are No. 38 and 40, respectively — and I’m higher on both than most analysts.

In short, the draft supply at safety isn’t looking all that good. And with each passing few hours, the safety class keeps becoming less and less important for teams looking for immediate help.

That’s because the free agent market has suddenly, unexpectedly become flooded with quality starters. Over the past few days, a decent crop of free agent safeties have been joined by a veritable who’s-who at the position.

Since the NFL Scouting Combine safety workouts last week, all of these safeties have been released by their teams:

Kevin Byard, Eagles

Rayshawn Jenkins, Jaguars

Jordan Poyer, Bills

Jamal Adams, Seahawks

Quandre Diggs, Seahawks

Justin Simmons, Broncos

These are not insignificant players. Poyer was an All-Pro in 2022. Simmons earned second-team All-Pro status in four of the last five seasons. Byard was fifth in tackles by a safety last season and a first-team All-Pro in 2021. Diggs ranks third in the NFL overall in interceptions since 2019.

Earlier in the offseason, Chicago dumped veteran stalwart Eddie Jackson and Detroit released longtime starter Tracy Walker.

They join a group that already features appealing starters like Xavier McKinney of the Giants, Detroit’s C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Kam Curl from Washington, and Buffalo’s Micah Hyde—and that’s far from a complete list of safeties worthy of signing around the league. Heck, while I was producing this very article, the Steelers cut experienced starter Keanu Neal.

All of a sudden, the free agent supply of starting safeties has gone from a decent but limited pool to a well-stocked lake full of players. Teams can find other fish in that abundant sea. Presumably, the high supply should keep the costs down in landing one of the free agents, too.

What does that mean for the draft class?

Perhaps the easiest way to answer that is by asking a hypothetical question:

Pretend you’re an NFL GM and need a starting safety in 2024. Would you rather sign an established veteran for what will likely seem under market value, or would you take a risk on the thinnest (at the top anyway) draft class at any position?

That doesn’t seem like a difficult choice. That’s bad news for 2024 draft prospects like Caden Bullock, Kam Kinchens, Jaden Hicks and Dadrion Taylor-Demeson (a personal fave). Those potential Day 2 selections could very well get pushed down the draft priority chart into Day 3 because teams won’t have the urgency to reach for them, knowing better, more proven option to provide immediate help are readily available.

And that might ultimately benefit the safety class. They’re less apt to be tossed into the deep end of the pool without any swim lessons or floatation devices. They can develop more at their own pace without the pressure of “perform or else!” It could also allow individual teams to be more patient in targeting a specific player who seems like a great fit instead of rushing to snatch a safety who might not profile as well for its defense.

As for its draft stock, however, it sure looks rough for the safety class as the NFL approaches free agency with more safeties hitting the open market by the hour.

 

Tyler Nubin says it would be a ‘dream’ to play for hometown Bears

The Bears are in the market for a new safety. Could hometown product Tyler Nubin be a fit?

The Chicago Bears are looking to make their team better ahead of the 2024 season. They went 7-10 in 2023, which was a great improvement over the 3-14 season that they had in 2022. If Chicago has a good draft and is smart in free agency, they should be in a position to compete for a playoff spot in 2024.

One player who has noticed what they are building is Minnesota safety Tyler Nubin. He’s a safety who should be drafted within the first couple of rounds of the 2024 NFL draft. At the NFL Scouting Combine, Nubin talked about potentially being a Chicago Bear.

Nubin, a self-described “Chicago boy,” would love to play for his hometown team. Out of all the teams he interviewed with, he said that the Bears stuck out for him. Being from St. Charles, Ill., he loved this team growing up and would enjoy the chance to play for them.

If being a Bear is his “dream,” they should consider it if he is available at a time when they are on the clock. After all, we know how general manager Ryan Poles loves local products and Chicago has a pressing need at safety following Eddie Jackson’s release.

Nubin also fits what they’re doing with Matt Eberflus’ defense so it makes sense from a tactical standpoint. It might be something to consider from that perspective.

The fact that players want to play for the Bears these days is refreshing. Hopefully, that trend continues through the draft and with future free agents.

10 defensive backs for the Ravens to watch at the 2024 NFL combine

We’re looking at ten defensive backs for the Baltimore Ravens to watch during the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine

The Ravens are in Indianapolis for the NFL combine, and GM Eric DeCosta will be front and center to watch the defensive backs and tight ends work out.

Cornerback depth will be a massive priority for Baltimore, and there will be changes this offseason with Ronald Darby, Arthur Maulet, and Rock-Ya-Sin all pending free agents.

With Day 2 of on-field workouts set to begin, we’re looking at ten defensive backs for the Ravens to watch.

10 defensive backs for the Eagles to watch at the 2024 NFL combine

We’re looking at ten defensive backs for the Philadelphia Eagles to watch during the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine

Defensive back depth is a massive priority for the Eagles, and that’ll be the position to watch on Friday at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Howie Roseman is looking to retool the roster following Philadelphia’s historic collapse, finishing the season 1-6 after a 10-1 start.

There could be decisions on cornerbacks Darius Slay and James Bradberry in the coming days, while the Eagles only have two safeties on the roster after releasing Kevin Byard.

With Day 2 of on-field workouts set to begin, we’re looking at ten defensive backs for Philadelphia to watch.