Kadarius Toney. Kenny Golladay. Sterling Shepard. Richie James. Isaiah Hodgins.
At one level or one other previously a number of years, these are the fellows the New York Giants have requested to shore up their receiver corps. Giants followers don’t want me to inform them that group is fairly laborious to abdomen.
Toney was a significant headache and a first-round flop of the best order. Golladay was a flash within the pan with the Lions, who turned one of many largest free agent busts of the last decade in New York. Shepard’s profession with the G-Males began out promising earlier than embarking on an harm odyssey that value him 34 video games from 2019-22.
By 2022, James and Hodgins had been getting begins and operating routes for this workforce, which made the playoffs regardless of such a low-wattage passing recreation. Neither man is on an energetic NFL roster proper now.
Leaving apart Darius Slayton—a effective possibility who’s led the Giants in receiving in 4 of the previous 5 years and doesn’t deserve that very same mockery—this is who Daniel Jones has been throwing to.
So whereas the controversy over Jones himself rages on, everybody can acknowledge that Malik Nabers is a breath of contemporary air, a celebrity within the making in comparison with what got here earlier than him. Drafted sixth total out of LSU, Nabers’ heroic eight-catch, two-touchdown recreation final week lastly acquired New York within the win column with a 21-15 victory at Cleveland.
The Giants haven’t had a 1,000-yard receiver since Odell Beckham Jr.’s ultimate season there in 2018. Three video games into his rookie yr, Nabers is greater than 1 / 4 of the way in which to that milestone. He’s the primary participant in NFL historical past with 20 receptions and three landing catches in his first three profession video games; he ranks fifth within the league in yardage (271), second in catches (23) and first in targets (37).
Yep, Jones has discovered a receiver he likes and began spamming him with passes. And reporters have began asking if the Giants must unfold the ball round higher to be much less predictable. However what would you like them to do—name Hodgins up from the follow squad and begin forcing balls his means?
“I feel he’s assured in his ability set,” coach Brian Daboll mentioned of Nabers. “I’m assured in his ability set. We spent a number of time with him main as much as the draft, and then you definately actually get to know him all through OTAs, minicamps and coaching camp, the place he excelled in these areas. So, I feel we goal him a good quantity, however I feel he’s earned that.”
One thing Giants followers must be enthusiastic about, and definitely not take with no consideration, is Nabers’ obvious psychological toughness. He dropped a vital fourth-down go late in Week 2 towards Washington, giving the Commanders their eventual game-winning possession. It didn’t cease him from bouncing again towards the Browns.
Daboll additionally praised the way in which Nabers knocked down an errant go within the fourth quarter of the Cleveland recreation to stop a possible interception.
“That play says extra to me about Malik than among the different issues,” Daboll mentioned. “Everybody can see the touchdowns, however the unselfish play, the good play he made, was an enormous play within the recreation. Enormous.”
Whether or not the Giants ought to persist with Jones at quarterback, within the close to or long run, is one other query completely. But it surely’s not hyperbolic to say Nabers has the makings of a Justin Jefferson, somebody who’ll present out irrespective of who’s throwing the ball. Or possibly it might be extra apt to call a unique former LSU star—Beckham.
Simply don’t let Jake from State Farm get close to him. I’m sick to loss of life of these commercials, however even I’ve to confess “Like an excellent Nabers, State Farm is there” is true there for the taking.