The New York Giants selected Malik Nabers with the sixth overall pick of the NFL Draft in April, potentially making him the first No. 1 wide receiver the Giants have had since Odell Beckham Jr. back in 2018.
Funny enough, both pass-catchers played at LSU.
Well, Nabers is already drawing comparisons to Beckham at organized team activities, per Dan Duggan of The Athletic.
Apparently, the wide out is looking absolutely phenomenal in practice, which is not too surprising given how highly Nabers was touted coming out of college. Of course, the bar in New York has not been set very high, as the Giants haven't exactly had a whole lot of talent at receiver since trading Beckham five years ago.
Again, Big Blue hasn't really had any great receivers since Beckham. It's been players like Darius Slayton, Golden Tate and the remains of Kenny Golladay.
Still, there is excitement around Nabers for a reason: the kid is really good.
After all, he did haul in 89 receptions for 1,569 yards and 14 touchdowns during his final season at LSU, and he also caught 72 passes for 1,017 yards and three scores in 2022. So, it's not like Nabers just had one impressive year, either.
Some felt that Nabers was actually the best receiver in this draft class, so we'll see what he brings to the table for the Giants in 2024.
Can Malik Nabers help the Giants get back to the playoffs?
Two years ago, the Giants appeared to be an up and coming ballclub, going 9-7-1 and making the postseason. They even upset the Minnesota Vikings in the Wild Card Round.
However, last year, it all went to pot, as New York trudged through an absolutely miserable 2023 campaign and went 6-11. Everything Big Blue achieved in 2022 was quickly forgotten, and it seemed like the Giants were back to square one.
Daniel Jones tore his ACL after just six games last season, and he wasn't exactly lighting it up before the injury, either. The offensive line was still atrocious, New York still had no weapons, and while the defense showed flashes, it still left much to be desired.
But this offseason, the Giants patched up the offensive line, landed a big-time pass rusher in Brian Burns and finally added a legitimate weapon for Jones in Nabers.
For all of the criticism Jones has taken, people neglect to mention the fact that he has never had a real No. 1 receiver since entering the NFL in 2019. Slayton has basically been his top guy, and he has never even registered 800 receiving yards in a single campaign.
Jones absolutely displayed that he can play in 2022, so perhaps adding Nabers into the mix will bring the best out of him in 2024.
Does that mean the Giants can possibly return to the playoffs? It will be tough, as they are playing in an NFC East division that houses the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles, and the conference has improved in general.
But if Nabers does indeed play like the New York version of Beckham and the offensive line can protect Jones, the Giants may at least contend for a postseason berth.
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