Giants' Presumed Starter at Safety Is Suddenly Fighting for His Job

Summer training camp is a time of intense competition across the entire landscape of an NFL roster. But if we’re being real, some positions end up more competitive than others, and then there are some where, just when you think things are set, along comes a surprise.

Such is the case for the New York Giants, who have themselves a competition brewing for a starting job at safety between Tyler Nubin, Jason Pinnock and Ar’Darius Washington.

Nubin, the incumbent, was the team’s second-round pick in 2024 out of Minnesota and came into the NFL with a reputation as a ballhawk after recording 13 interceptions during his college career.

But after a promising rookie season that was cut short by four games because of an ankle injury, Nubin took a noticeable step backward last season.

His missed-tackle percentage rose sharply from 4.9% as a rookie to 9.3%, a result of taking bad angles and overcommitting to filling inside gaps while leaving the edges exposed.

His coverage rating also deteriorated, jumping from 95.7 in his rookie campaign to 119.5 last season. Nubin has recorded only two pass breakups in two seasons and has yet to record an interception in the NFL.

Getting Better But…

New York Giants safety Tyler Nubin | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This summer, Nubin has been moving around the formation, working closer to the box where it’s thought his skill set is a better fit.

“Tyler Nubin is getting better,” defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson said on Tuesday.

“His biggest challenge right now is just looking at the right things. When he looks at the right things on a consistent level, he makes plays. So, that's been his focus, but he's flashed.”

Apparently not enough. The coaches are exploring their options with Washington, who was with Wilson (when he was the Ravens' defensive backs coach in 2023) and Harbaugh in Baltimore, and Pinnock, who is back with the Giants after a one-year stop in San Francisco.

Two Familiar Faces Pushing for Snaps

Safety Ar'Darius Washington | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Washington and Pinnock were both signed this past offseason in free agency after the Giants lost Dane Belton to the Jets.

Washington is a Swiss Army knife who can play safety or in the slot. He’s been limited to just 29 games in his career, mainly due to injuries, and yes, he’s undersized at just 5-foot-8 and 180 pounds.

But when he has played, there has been much to like, including the fact that he plays fearlessly and plays with the physicality of a much bigger safety.

His elite football instincts allow him to play faster because he can process what’s unfolding before him rapidly. This has helped him anticipate where a ball is going to be thrown so that, if he’s in the vicinity, he can get a jump on the route.

In 2024, the lone season in which he played in 17 games, he recorded his two career interceptions to date. He also posted a career-best 78.1 coverage rating that year and allowed just 62.7% of the passes against him to be completed.

New York Giants safety Jason Pinnock (25) catches the ball while training at Quest Diagnostics Training Center, Aug 10, 2026, East Rutherford, NJ, USA. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Pinnock, whose bread and butter has been in run support given his downhill style, has been better in coverage at the third level, showing efficiency as the defender on vertical passes and in getting into position on deep passes.

He also kept up with tight ends coming up the seam, and not only has he been a sound tackler, but he’s also a good blitzer, having blitzed 91 times in his career, generating 6.5 sacks, seven hurries and four knockdowns.

Who’s It Going to Be?

There is still time before the Giants have to decide who they’ll be rolling with and in what situations, but Harbaugh admitted that he’s been pleased with the level of competition shown thus far at the position.

“I think it's a credit to how well those guys are playing. They have played like starters for quite a number of reps. So, let's take a look at them with that group,” he said this week.

While the players’ histories offer a glimpse into what they’re capable of delivering, Pinnock said it’s all about what is done today.

“Day by day. Opportunity arises, I rise to the occasion. Every time you throw me in there, I'm gonna ball. This is a new regime, so ‘22 to ‘24 [doesn’t matter]. It's about ‘26,” he said.

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