This is another position on the roster that needs more talent
The New York Giants’ safety room has changed drastically over the last few seasons. Julian Love signed with the Seattle Seahawks after the 2022 season and made the Pro Bowl in 2023. The following year, Xavier McKinney signed a four-year contract with the Green Bay Packers worth $67 million with $23 million guaranteed. Both Love and McKinney were team captains in 2022.
GM Joe Schoen filled the void with Minnesota safety Tyler Nubin, who he selected in the second round (47th overall) of the 2024 NFL Draft. Finding a way to strengthen the safety position after Love and McKinney’s departure was crucial, especially with the arrival of defensive coordinator Shane Bowen and his two-read coverage approach. Depth and a lack of star power limited the upside of the position group in 2024.
2024 in review
The roster
Jason Pinnock, Tyler Nubin, Dane Belton, Raheem Layne, Anthony Johnson Jr.
Pinnock, Nubin and Belton played most of the safety snaps for the Giants. Layne and Johnson Jr. played 43 snaps between them. Pinnock played 976, Nubin 789, and Belton 460 snaps. Gervarrius Owens was injured in training camp before landing on the practice squad. He signed with the Tennessee Titans in November.
Pinnock carried his 2023 starting position into 2024. His play was underwhelming relative to his potential and desired trajectory. He finished the season with 85 tackles, four for a loss, three sacks, one pass defense, and seven pressures. He missed 14 tackles (a missed tackle rate of 15.1%) and had 14 STOPs. A lack of game-changing plays pervaded the Giants in 2024, which was evident with Pinnock in his age-25 season.
Nubin had a solid rookie season but also lacked game-changing plays after setting the Minnesota Golden Gopher total interception mark with 13 picks. Nubin recorded 98 tackles, four for a loss, and one pass defended; he led all rookies in total tackles. He missed ten tackles (9.4%) and had a few coverage lapses throughout the season.
Although there were mistakes, I remain optimistic; his overall movement skills, diagnosing consistency, and ability in run support were encouraging. Nubin landed on Injured Reserve with an ankle injury sustained in Week 14.
Belton possessed the starting safety job in training camp while Nubin dealt with a calf injury. It didn’t take long for Nubin to usurp Belton, and the former Iowa Hawkeye became the sub-package safety in BIG Nickel and BIG DIME.
However, the Giants weren’t in their lighter sub-packages too often due to their inability to establish and maintain leads, so Belton averaged 14 snaps in six weeks (excluding Week 10, started) before Nubin suffered his ankle injury. Belton went on to start for the rest of the year; he also contributed 342 special teams snaps.
Belton finished the year with 56 tackles, one tackle for a loss, six passes defended, and he was one of the few Giants who earned an interception on the season. He has not committed a penalty since his rookie season.
Anthony Johnson Jr. played 113 special teams snaps and earned 21 defensive snaps in the season’s final two weeks. Layne played 22 snaps on defense and 10 special teams snaps on the year. Predictably, the safety position took a step back in 2024.
2025 outlook
Pinnock is set to be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, and Belton is entering the final year of his contract. The Giants are thin at the position group; Nubin is the only player with a contact beyond the 2025 season. I’m open to retaining Pinnock on a cheap deal; he’s only 25 years old and flashed tools — he just hasn’t put it all together quite yet.
Belton will ideally remain the sub-package third safety behind either Pinnock, a rookie, or a more established veteran. Belton’s field vision is exceptional in zone coverage, but he still seems to struggle in run support, albeit he was a more sure-tackler in 2024.
The Giants need Nubin to take a step forward in his second season. Development for Nubin would go a long way for the Giants’ defense and Schoen’s resume. He underwent tightrope surgery in January. The surgery is not expected to affect offseason workouts.
Nubin is a solid building block for the position group, but you need more than one block. Schoen’s decision on Pinnock in March will give us an idea of the Giants’ desperation for safety as we transition to the draft in April. The Giants should look to add to the position even if Pinnock is retained.