The New York Giants entered the offseason needing to add more talent and depth to the secondary.
Though they lost starting safety Xavier McKinney to free agency, they still made solid additions to the position group through the 2024 NFL Draft.
Those two additions came in the forms of safety Tyler Nubin and cornerback Andru Phillips, the team’s second and third-round picks, respectively.
While they have a ways to go, Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus believes the Giants now have one of the most improved secondaries in the NFL.
Though the Giants made only two secondary selections, they targeted players who fit their scheme for a potential year-one impact. Nubin is a solid safety, one the Giants needed after losing Xavier McKinney in free agency. Nubin can play both free and strong safety, though he is best as a strong safety in robber coverage roles over the middle.
Phillips to the Giants was one of my favorite prospect-team fits of any selection in the draft. His press-man coverage style fits perfectly with New York’s 2023 first-round pick, Deonte Banks. Now they can get even more aggressive to play Cover 1, Cover 0 or 2-Man.
Nubin is expected to slot right in as one of the starting safeties. He brings high-level instincts and ball skills to go along with impressive versatility.
Meanwhile, Phillips should be competing for the starting nickel role as a rookie while Deonte Banks works on the outside.
The secondary still has some question marks, but the unit certainly added more talent to the depth chart through the draft.
