When the New York Giants look back on their humiliating performance against the Philadelphia Eagles last Sunday, there were very few positives to take from this lopsided 28-3 home game, but two young members of the New York Giants’ secondary defense The team still managed to catch up. recognition of their individual outputs.
After a quiet offensive performance in Week 7 against Cincinnati, the Giants were squarely hit on both sides of the football by NFC East rival and former running back Saquon Barkley. The offense couldn’t find a spark to push itself near the end zone and ended up finishing another stinker with 119 total yards and three scores.
On the defensive end, things looked pretty good for about a quarter as the Giants kept the Eagles out of the paint until their fourth possession of the game. Then all hell broke loose on them, with Barkley tacking his former team 17 times for 176 yards and a touchdown to lead the offensive onslaught that tormented New York in several games this season.
However, among the murky waters were the efforts of two rookie defenders among Shane Bowen’s crew, notably cornerback Dru Phillips and strong safety Tyler Nubin, who were both named to CBS Sports weekly roster of the best rookies of week 7.
Phillips, the Giants’ third-round pick out of Kentucky, ranked second on the list behind Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. and was highly praised for his near-perfect coverage, which kept Philadelphia from causing any quick damage in the slot.
In 45 snaps Sunday, 17 of which came from coverage, the 22-year-old cornerback made two tackles, both of which were stops, and allowed just one reception for -2 yards to DeVonta Smith. His play made Smith’s day meaningless as he came down from the secondary and avoided a block to disrupt a screen pass behind the line of scrimmage to the receiver.
Phillips finished the day without allowing a single target against him and with a coverage grade of 75.4, his third-best mark of the 2024 season. Through seven games this year, he continues to shine among the best corners in the league, allowing only 11 receptions for 46 yards, 59 yards after the catch and no touchdowns to opposing pass receivers.
His efforts have been most impressive in man coverage, where he holds the 10th most snaps for rookies at the position. Phillips has yet to allow a reception in man coverage schemes and has held opponents to an average distance of 7.5 from the target, good for top numbers in the 2024 draft class.
Meanwhile, Nubin ranked five spots below Phillips and gave the Giants the only team with two rookies on the honor roll. His kudos came on another responsible afternoon covering and racking up tackles while playing in the box, something he has excelled at all season as the Giants’ most productive defender.
In his 66 snaps against the Eagles, the second-round pick had his third straight game with nine tackles and his fourth as the leader of the defense. He also finished with a season-high 67.2 coverage rating thanks to two aerial stops and a single reception that yielded a measly five yards.
Nubin ran away with the title in the stops department, owning 48 (17 solo) that paced Shane Bowen’s group and edging out the next guy at his position, Jason Pinnock, by 15 tackles. He’s put together 27 over the past three games to become one of the defensive group’s most consistent playmakers.
Nubin hasn’t lost his mastery of man and zone coverage looks. In the former, he has the most snaps among rookies, the second-fewest receptions (3) and the fifth-fewest yards allowed (15). His zone work gave a little more to his opponents, but still under six receptions and 64 yards including 16 after the catch.
While he still waits for the elusive forced turnover opportunity and his first sack, of which he had two in college, Nubin is slowly providing the Giants with a savvy and aggressive playmaker who fills the void left by Xavier’s departure McKinney in free agency.
The Giants may not have much to hang their hat on this season, but their draft class has come together quite favorably for general manager Joe Schoen, whose previous class hasn’t looked as good or didn’t stay with the franchise.
Phillips and Nubin should continue to make headlines for their defensive performances, win or loss, giving hope for a tough unit to face in the future.
