Expectations are high for Giants’ first-round pick
‘Leeeeeeek’!
Malik Nabers can’t wait to hear that from New York Giants fans at MetLife Stadium on Sunday when the 2024 season opens and Nabers plays his first game as an NFL wide reciever.
“I’m expecting the fans, when I catch a first down or touchdown, they say, ‘Leeeeeeek’!,” Nabers said on Wednesday.
The Giants are expecting to hear that a lot, with hopes after an electric training camp that the No. 6 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft will be a transformative player for the franchise.
Nabers will debut as a Giant on a day the franchise is going all-out to celebrate its 100th NFL season. Many of the best players to ever wear a Giants uniform will be in the building as the Giants honor the top 100 players in franchise history.
If things go the way Nabers and the Giants hope, Nabers will someday be among those Giants greats.
Fans members of the Giants organization are not the only ones with high expectations for Nabers. Skip to the 1:30 mark of the video below when Isaiah Simmons crashes a Nabers interview for evidence of what Nabers’ teammates think he can do:
Caught up with #Giants wideout Malik Nabers before his debut.
He’s confident — that’s what the team loves about him. But the hype around him resonates through the locker room.
Just listen to what @isaiahsimmons25 believes he’s capable of this year pic.twitter.com/So92MXUUkt
— Connor Hughes (@Connor_J_Hughes) September 4, 2024
Simmons listed:
- Offensive Rookie of the Year.
- More than 1,000 receiving yards, with hopes of 1,500.
- A dozen touchdowns.
“I say all these things because I’ve seen a lot of really good receivers — players like DeAndre Hopkins, guys like that,” Simmons said. “I see some greatness in him.”
For reference, Odell Beckham Jr. had 91 catches for 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns in his 2014 Rookie of the Year season for the Giants.
Yup. No pressure for Nabers.
The youngest player on the Giants’ roster at 21, Nabers knows there will be nerves when he steps on the field to play against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.
“I‘m always going to have butterflies any time I go out there,” he said. “But I feel like if you’re not nervous then you’re not ready, you’re not prepared.”
Nabers is now the focal point of the Giants’ offense. It was obvious throughout the spring and summer that the former LSU star is the best receiver quarterback Daniel Jones has worked with in his six seasons with the Giants.
Jones has been criticized the last couple of seasons for being unwilling to take downfield shots. After averaging 8.0 Intended Air Yards per Pass Attempt under Pat Shurmur as a rookie in 2019, Jones averaged career lows of 6.4 and 6.8 Intended Air Yards the past two seasons.
With head coach Brian Daboll now calling offensive plays and encouraging Jones to take advantage of a young, speedy wide receiver group led by Nabers, Jones has throughout the summer shown a renewed willingness to push the ball down the field.
“Malik’s going to be a big part of what we do for sure. And he’s shown up through camp, made a ton of big plays for us. And he’s going to help us out a ton,” Jones said during training camp. “We have a lot of confidence in Malik.”
The fan base wants to embrace Nabers. In fact, it already has. Still, the massive expectations can swallow a young player. The Giants simply want Nabers to focus on playing the game.
“I’d say to a rookie, the same thing I’d say to a vet(eran), and really to the entire offense, is just, ‘Do your job, focus on your responsibilities, communicate, and then play the game as fast as you can and have fun out there,’” offensive coordinator Mike Kafka said when asked what advice he would give Nabers about handling those expectations.
Nabers is trying.
“I’m happy to go out there with my teammates, go out there with the offense. Just go out there and do our best,” he said on Wednesday. “I’m embracing it very well. I’m excited to go out there. I’m excited to go catch some touchdowns and do what I can do to help the team, help the offense.”
What are his Week 1 expectations?
“Through the preseason, the game was fast. I’m mostly sure that it’s going to be way faster, and the competition level is going to have to rise,” he said. “I’m just happy to go out there with the team and see what we can do.”
Nabers and the Giants will be wearing throwback uniforms on Sunday honoring the early days of the franchise. Nabers’ thought on those uniforms?
“Hard to drip out. It’s going to be hard to drip, but I’ve got a plan to see what I’m going to do with the drip,” he said. “The helmet’s fire. I love the helmet. The helmet is fire.”
The Giants are looking for Nabers to bring the fire, and the big plays, to their offense.
