Kadarius Toney. Kenny Golladay. Sterling Shepard. Richie James. Isaiah Hodgins.
At one level or one other up to now 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 onerous to abdomen.
Toney was a serious headache and a first-round flop of the very best order. Golladay was a flash within the pan with the Lions, who grew to become one of many greatest 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 damage odyssey that price him 34 video games from 2019-22.
By 2022, James and Hodgins have been getting begins and working routes for this workforce, which made the playoffs regardless of such a low-wattage passing sport. Neither man is on an energetic NFL roster proper now.
Leaving apart Darius Slayton—a wonderful choice 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 sport final week lastly obtained 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 last season there in 2018. Three video games into his rookie yr, Nabers is greater than 1 / 4 of the best way 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 have to unfold the ball round higher to be much less predictable. However what would you like them to do—name Hodgins up from the apply squad and begin forcing balls his method?
“I believe he’s assured in his ability set,” coach Brian Daboll mentioned of Nabers. “I’m assured in his ability set. We spent a whole lot of time with him main as much as the draft, and then you definitely actually get to know him all through OTAs, minicamps and coaching camp, the place he excelled in these areas. So, I believe we goal him a good quantity, however I believe he’s earned that.”
One thing Giants followers must be enthusiastic about, and positively not take as a right, is Nabers’ obvious psychological toughness. He dropped an important fourth-down cross late in Week 2 in opposition to Washington, giving the Commanders their eventual game-winning possession. It didn’t cease him from bouncing again in opposition to the Browns.
Daboll additionally praised the best way Nabers knocked down an errant cross within the fourth quarter of the Cleveland sport to stop a possible interception.
“That play says extra to me about Malik than a few of the different issues,” Daboll mentioned. “Everybody can see the touchdowns, however the unselfish play, the sensible play he made, was an enormous play within the sport. Large.”
Whether or not the Giants ought to keep on with Jones at quarterback, within the close to or long run, is one other query fully. But it surely’s not hyperbolic to say Nabers has the makings of a Justin Jefferson, somebody who’ll present out regardless of who’s throwing the ball. Or perhaps it could 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 Nabers, State Farm is there” is true there for the taking.
