So far, so good as far as the New York Giants are concerned with first-round draft pick Malik Nabers.
Nabers, one of the top three receivers in this year’s draft class, was the sixth overall pick of the Giants after an impressive showing at LSU. He was not only a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award, given to the nation’s top receiver, but he also ranked second in the FBS with 1,568 yards and tied for third with 14 receiving touchdowns. He went on to set an LSU record with 189 career receptions.
“He's just like every rookie,” said Giants receivers coach Mike Groh, describing his initial impressions of Nabers since the team's rookie minicamp.
“There's a lot to learn, and he's doing a great job of not only being a pro when he is in the building but taking the stuff that we give him to study every night so that he is prepared when he comes in the next day to do what we're asking him to do. And just very pleased with his progress up to this point.”
The Giants are counting on Naber to take their passing game to the next level. New York has not had a 1,000-yard receiver since 2018, when another LSU alumnus named Odell Beckham, Jr roamed the halls of 1925 Giants Drive.
While no one is comparing Nabers to Beckham, who went on to post 1,000-yard receiving seasons in four of his five years with the Giants (the one season he didn’t was the one in which he suffered a season-ending injury four games into the 2017 campaign), Nabers has a toolset that has Groh and the rest of the coaching staff excited about the possibilities.
“I think they say in baseball, a five-tool player,” Groh said. “He's got the ability to win the short game, the intermediate game, and the long. He's dynamic with the ball in his hands and can play inside and outside. So we're excited about the things we'll be able to do with him and the other guys we have.”
The Giants have been trying to become more explosive in the passing game with little to no success. Darius Slayton has been their team's receiving yardage leader in four out of the last five seasons since Beckham was traded to Cleveland, but Slayton has never topped more than 770 yards, which is coming last season on 50 receptions.
The Giants have struggled to create explosive plays of 20+ yards. Last season, they recorded 44 plays of 20+ yards and seven of 40+ yards, both of which put them toward the bottom of the league.
With Nabers on board, they’re hoping for better numbers in both categories. The rookie’s presence is also hoped to force opposing defensive coordinators to game plan for him, hopefully opening things up for the other receivers on the field.
“I think it's way too early to tell,” Groh said when asked about expectations for Nabers. “We're just installing the general playbook right now, not doing any specific game planning or anything like that.
“But like I said, he's doing a really good job of coming in and being prepared, knowing what to do. And it's a process. It's what to do, how, and why we're doing it a certain way. And those are the things that sustain you throughout a season, and he's only a few weeks into that process.”
