The hype surrounding New York Giants rookie wideout Malik Nabers has grown by the day.
Nabers has dominated during training camp, making spectacular catches in every practice. It’s clear that the offense will revolve around their electric rookie receiver, as head coach Brian Daboll has already given Nabers the ability to provide input on which plays he likes.
It’s not out of the realm of possibilities to believe Nabers can have a monster rookie season. He’s in a loaded offensive rookie class, joining the likes of Caleb Williams, Marvin Harrison Jr., and Drake Maye, among others, but ESPN’s Adam Schefter believes Nabers will be among the ones in consideration for the “Offensive Rookie of the Year” award.
“If Malik Nabers is what the Giants and some other teams think, how much of a difference can one dominant rookie wide receiver make on an offense? What can one player do for one team?” Schefter said on a recent episode of NFL Live.
“And the Giants believe it’s an awful lot. And the way he’s looked in the early part of training camp, he has looked like a candidate for the Offensive Rookie of the Year. And if Nabers can be that player this season, it’ll be really interesting to see what a difference one player can make.
The Giants haven’t had this explosive of a receiver since Odell Beckham, JR. was on the team. Looking back at Beckham’s rookie season, Beckham had 91 catches on 130 targets for 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Nabers will almost certainly reach the 100-target mark, as history suggests the top receivers in the game had done so during their rookie years. More recently, wideouts like Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, Justin Jefferson, and Ja’Marr Chase all eclipsed 100 targets in their first seasons.
The Giants have emphasized pushing the ball downfield this summer, which is evident in Nabers’ highlight grabs almost daily. Last season, the explosive offense they tried to create just wasn’t there. The offense as a whole was a mess from the start in 2023, resulting in just 32 total explosive passing plays, last in the league.
The addition of Nabers will help fix that. His presence will also open up the rest of the offense, which has begun to take shape throughout training camp. The attention placed on Nabers opens up opportunities for Wan’Dale Robinson in the slot and Jalin Hyatt on the outside. Rookie tight end Theo Johnson should also benefit from this as well.
Nabers had over 1,500 yards and 14 touchdowns while averaging 17.6 yards per catch last season at LSU. He can run every route to perfection, is exceptional off the release, can distort his body in the air to adjust for catches, and is strong enough to fight off opposing defenders for extra yards.
Nabers is the total package, and if everything goes right, he can certainly be a finalist in the Offensive Player of the Year award.
