From Lance Zierlein:

Talented safety prospect with the size, length and instincts that teams are looking for to shore up the back end. Nubin has the ability to play as an interchangeable safety but will make his money as a ball thief. He’s rangy over the top in two-high safety looks and plays chess in the middle of the field, using instincts to think along with the quarterback and pounce on throws from an angle. He’s average in man coverage and might lack ideal top-end speed, but his anticipation and discipline help make up for that. He’s capable in run support, but his pursuit angles get him beat outside. Nubin’s traits, instincts and ball skills give him an opportunity to become a successful long-term starter.

From Dane Brugler:

A four-year starter at Minnesota, Nubin was an interchangeable safety (single high and split zone) in defensive coordinator Joe Rossi’s mixed-coverage scheme. A cornerback-turned-safety, he led the Gophers in interceptions in each of the last four seasons and collected his 13th career interception in his final home game, which set a new school record. Using his athleticism and awareness, Nubin keeps everything in front of him and can drive off the numbers in the deep half to overlap the seam or track and finish from the post. As an alley defender, he is fearless but controlled, and he comes to balance with low pads to finish tackles with authority. Overall, Nubin has conservative tendencies in coverage, but he is a four-down player with a coveted skill set, because of his split-field range, playmaking instincts and toughness versus the run. He is ideally suited for a quarters-based, Cover-2 scheme in the NFL and will be a core special teamer.

From Ian Cummings:

Nubin is a potential top-32 prospect on my 2024 NFL Draft board and is in the mix to be the top safety prospect in this class. He’s worthy of late Round 1 capital and would be a tremendous value on Day 2.

Nubin is a verified member of the “Good Football Player” club. His athletic profile can be nitpicked a bit. He doesn’t quite have elite burst or fluidity, and his long speed can be a concern at times. But Nubin does pass the desired athletic threshold overall, and his utility profile is superb.

In coverage, Nubin is fluid, physical, adaptable, efficient, variable with his technique, a quick processor, and a ravenous turnover generator. In run support, Nubin is a tenacious downhill attacker with instant angle recognition skills, play strength, and tackling ability.

Nubin’s explosiveness and ball skills, in particular, are traits that naturally contribute to his playmaking ability. But his intelligence, spatial awareness, and lightning-quick reaction speed also give him playmaking range that few safeties can match, regardless of relative athleticism.

Nubin isn’t the most dynamic blitzing threat, nor is he a perfect fit playing the nickel spot. However, Nubin has enough versatility between two-high, single-high, slot, and second-level roving roles, and he can be an impact player as an NFL field safety with his blend of football IQ, coverage mobility, physicality, and ball-hawking instincts.

From Damian Parson:

Tyler Nubin has arguably the best ball skills and instincts in the class. He displays the ability to quickly diagnose route concepts while reading from high or split-post alignments. Nubin has a ballhawk skill set and mentality. Quarterbacks must be wary at all times. He has the range to trigger from his landmarks to the catch point to force either incompletions or take the ball away. Nubin’s closing speed is impressive, as he can drive toward the ball from a flat-footed base. 

Nubin has shown the ability to line up in the nickel and cover receivers out of the slot. He can act as a plus-one in the run game and does not mind filling lanes as an alley-runner. He will square up his target, prepared to engage and make contact. 

Areas of improvement with Nubin begin with leveraging the football and gaps in run support. He has taken bad angles when triggering from up top. He does not consistently squeeze the ball-carrier toward his help. Hip transitions can be a bit delayed and show some segmentation. He isn’t stiff-hipped but he’s not exceptionally fluid either. His feet appear to be a little heavy, which limits his quickness. As a result, Nubin is better suited for split-safety alignment than heavily single-high. 

Nubin projects as a starting safety that operates best from split-high alignments. He can work as a deep protector and underneath as a robber. Whether up to or with low-hole responsibilities, Nubin has the instincts and playmaking skillset to change games defensively.

From Pro Football Focus:

After committing to Minnesota, Nubin waited his turn behind Antoine Winfield Jr. before becoming a full-time starter in 2021. Since then, he’s become Minnesota‘s all-time leader in interceptions (13).

His athleticism — an explosive first step, controlled and quick footwork and fluid hips — provides him with good range in coverage from a free safety role. He pairs that with good eyes and anticipation for where passes and ball carriers are going.

In run defense, he is consistently willing to be physical but tends to lead with the crown of his helmet. He also can be a bit overaggressive in pursuit angles.

From Greg Cosell:

Nubin is one of the better safety prospects in the 2024 draft class, and I could easily make the argument that he is the best safety prospect due to his overall traits, his competitive demeanor and his playing personality.

Nubin played almost exclusively on the back end in 2023 as both a two-shell safety and post safety. One of his best traits was his recognition of receiver splits and route concepts and his concurrent ability to trigger with burst and speed, planting and driving on routes in front of him to take away throws, especially in-breakers.

Nubin displayed outstanding vision on the back end with a refined, instinctive feel for reading both the route concepts and the quarterback. That was a main reason he had excellent ball production throughout his career. Nubin was aggressive and competitive playing downhill as an alley defender and gap shooter in the run game. He had an excellent feel for which gap to hit based on the defensive front and the gap fluidity once the play took shape. What consistently stood out on tape vs. the run and pass was that Nubin was a decisive reactor with strong key-and-diagnose traits. He always played with a quick trigger and high-level competitiveness.

From Doug Farrar:

There are a few things about Nubin’s NFL transition that cause a bit of concern that don’t show up in the metrics, but are obvious on tape. He’s got the capacity to be a top-tier deep-third safety at the next level if he works those things out. He’s not at Winfield’s level when Winfield came out of college, but the tools are impressive, and the development curve could be highly rewarding.

Nubin has a ton of talent, and I’d love him in a quarters-heavy defense, but his NFL team will have work to do with run fits, tackling, and decisiveness in coverage. He’s not a project per se, but I’d struggle a lot with a first-round grade. I’d also like to see him in the box more often so he’s not trying to get to running backs from 20 yards upfield all the time.