Tyler Nubin has already noticed two big differences between college football and the NFL.
First, professional rules allow a player to leave the ground with the ball in his hands if he hasn’t scored a touchdown, so a diving interception like the one made by the Giants’ rookie safety in the end zone during practice Monday isn’t the end of the play.
Nubin can also be a dangerous returner.
“I got knocked to the ground a lot in college,” Nubin, who tied a Minnesota franchise record with 13 interceptions, joked, “but I can get back up now, so that’s my goal, and that’s to make sure I get in the end zone this time.”
Justin Jefferson, the Vikings’ No. 1 receiver heading into Week 1’s game against the Giants, lives in the end zone.
And this leads to Nubin’s second point.
“It’s a more matchup-oriented league than college leagues,” Nubin said. “You can tell a lot by the formation, but if Justin Jefferson is in the ‘X’, [receiver]”, The formation doesn’t tell me anything. The ball is going there.”
As seen on HBO’s “Hard Knocks,” the Giants selected Nubin in the second round in hopes that he would “come in and be a starter,” as general manager Joe Sean told defensive coordinator Shane Bowen just before the pick.
But the combination of Nubin, who missed most of the first week of practice with a calf injury, and strong play from former fourth-round pick Dane Belton, who had high production rates in a limited role his first two seasons, gave the rookie some ground to recover from.
A play like the one Nubin made in a preseason game against the Lions, when he caused 295-pound offensive lineman Michael Niese to fall on his butt and ruin a two-yard run on third down, is a good start.
“Big-boy play,” defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson said of the play. “He’s really competitive and really confident. [college] You can see his intensity, his energy, his focus on the tape, even here.”
Nubin is happy with the opportunity to be physically active.
He is often described as a ball hawk, and that is indeed the case.
That was evident when, in his first chance to play against the starting defense of camp, he undercut tight end Lawrence Cager to intercept a Daniel Jones pass from the 2-yard line.
Nubin could have jumped to the backline and added a second interception, but the ball slipped through his hands during the two-minute drill, resulting in a self-inflicted push-up penalty.
But there’s more to Nubin’s game than that.
During his college days, he was responsible for calling plays from the sideline to the back seven.
“I think what a lot of people don’t know about me is I’m always ready to go up against the big guys and get gritty,” Nubin said. “I’ve never been afraid of it. That’s what I was taught in Minnesota. That’s where my game comes from. I play hard, physical, then I get good and I go find the ball.”
The Giants could also use a combination of Jason Pinnock, Belton and Nubin as a three-safety line, similar to what they’ve done in the past when the position has been a strength on the roster (Logan Ryan, Xavier McKinney, Jabrill Peppers and Julian Love).
But versatile Nick McCloud, third-round rookie cornerback Dru Phillips and converted linebacker Isaiah Simmons are already competing for playing time in the slot.
That’s why it’s important for Nubin to get back on the field soon.
“Anywhere on the field is my place,” Nubin said. “If I can do the job wherever I’m placed, that’s what I want to do.”
If the second round of the draft had gone a little differently, the Giants would have drafted a cornerback instead of Nubin.
But when Kamari Lassiter and Kool-Aid McKinstry went undrafted, safeties coach Mike Traier sent Nubin to work out in Minnesota, and the information he gained there proved useful.
The consensus within the company was that he was a fast learner.
“As for what I did while I wasn’t practicing, I made sure I didn’t fall behind in my preparation,” Nubin said. “Obviously, physically I had to get back in football shape, so I’m still catching up on that side, but I made sure I didn’t have to fall behind mentally, which made it easier to come back.”
