Never is a wide receiver drafted in the top-10 without the intention that they will be a crucial part of the offense as a rookie. Three such players emerged in this year’s draft, and LSU-product Malik Nabers will surely be relied upon in New York as a result.
While there are several examples of top-drafted receivers not living up to their billing, first impressions seem to indicate that Nabers will not disappoint, per ESPN’s Jordan Raanan.
In the past few years, the Giants have become heavily invested in quarterback Daniel Jones, so much so that the quarterback’s recent extension factored into whether or not franchise back Saquon Barkley would remain in New York; spoiler alert, he did not. The struggle has been that, while investing in Jones, the team has neglected their offensive line and receiving corps.
Attempts have certainly been made to improve both position groups over the last few years, but the level of success has been negligible thus far. The Giants routinely see themselves in the top 10 for sacks allowed, and the NFC’s New York squad has not seen a 1,000-yard receiver since Eli Manning was hooking up with Odell Beckham Jr. back in 2018.
Since then, Darius Slayton has been the team’s leading receiver but has failed to eclipse even 800 receiving yards, topping out at 770 last year.
Enter: Malik Nabers. Nabers was drafted No. 6 overall, and the only reason he wasn’t selected any higher was because of the need for quarterbacks at the top of the draft. Many prospect rankings had Nabers as the third-best prospect in the draft, behind only Caleb Williams and Marvin Harrison Jr.
LSU has produced some NFL greats at wide receiver (Beckham, Jarvis Landry, Justin Jefferson, and Ja’Marr Chase in recent years, to name a few), yet Nabers holds career records in receptions (189) and receiving yards (3,003) despite only three years of play.
At just over 6-feet tall and just under 200 pounds, Nabers lacks ideal size but was still one of the draft’s most polished wideouts. Spending about half his time on the outside and half in the slot, Nabers can be utilized all over the field.
He led college football in catches over 20 yards last year with 34, consistently shows an ability to succeed on passes underneath, and claims the jet sweep as his favorite call in the playbook. With elite body control and strong top-end speed, it was hardly a surprise to see Nabers become the top pick of the year for New York.
What is perhaps even less of a surprise is hearing that Nabers has impressed in offseason work so far. With quickness, great hands, and constant playmaking, Nabers caught the attention of many at the team’s minicamp. He’s immediately become a fixture on the first-team offense, playing all over the field like he did in college, and has received rave reviews from his new quarterback.
“I think he can be a tremendous weapon for us. He’s had a good spring. He’s looked good and made a lot of plays,” Jones told reporters. “I mean, he can do everything. There is not much that he can’t do, really, from a route-running standpoint. He is dynamic with the ball in his hands and strong, fast, explosive, catches the ball well.”
All of this buildup is creating larger-than-life expectations for the rookie who has his fellow LSU-alum Beckham’s legacy to live up to. Beckham delivered on expectations, opening his career with three straight seasons of at least 1,300 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Nabers may not need to reach those types of numbers to avoid the “bust” label, but New York is hoping to see him emerge as WR1 in his rookie year.
