Giants’ rookie star has one fatal flaw holding him back

Nov 28, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA;  New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (1) catches a pass as Dallas Cowboys safety Malik Hooker (28) gives chase during the first half at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images
Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images

New York Giants rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers has flashed serious potential in his first NFL season. Joining a team that has had a disastrous quarterback situation, Nabers has logged 740 receiving yards, 75 receptions, and three touchdown catches.

Giants’ Malik Nabers has had an issue with drops

East Rutherford, NJ -- November 24, 2024 -- Malik Nabers of the Giants on the bench late in the fourth quarter as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers came to MetLife Stadium and defeated the New York Giants 30-7.
Credit: Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

However, one thing that has held him back is dropped passes. Despite all the great plays he has already made in his short NFL career, he is tied for the third-most dropped passes by wide receivers with seven on the year.

However, Nabers isn’t worried about dropped passes and brushed them off as a part of the game. His main focus is getting targets and being a focal point in the offense:

“I don’t care about drops,” Nabers said, per ESPN’s Jordan Raanan. “I mean, it’s just part of football. I don’t care if I drop the ball six times, keep throwing me the ball.”

Nabers has had a few costly drops despite the great rookie season

New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (1) makes a diving catch during a game between the New York Giants and the Washington Commanders at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024.
Credit: Julian Leshay Guadalupe/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Despite missing three games with a concussion earlier this season, Nabers is among the league leaders in targets. He has the third-most targets in the NFL with 112 and leads the NFL in targets per game with 11.5. The large target share will undoubtedly come with drops, but Nabers has had a few costly drops this season.

His most notable drop came in Week 2 against the Washington Commanders, when he dropped a wide-open pass on fourth down to turn the ball over on downs in a tie game late in the fourth quarter. The Commanders would then march down the field and kick the game-winning field goal and hand the Giants a crushing loss.

Nabers has also had some big moments this season, such as his two-touchdown game against the Cleveland Browns in Week 3 and his 111-yard performance against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 6. However, the team’s overall lackluster offense has masked the good that Nabers has provided, making the drops stand out more as well.

Nabers has been by far the team’s top receiver, and the expectation is that he will be the guy that they will look for to generate a spark on offense the most. The hope is that in the seasons to come, the drops don’t continue to haunt him, as he has the potential to be one of the top receivers in the entire league.

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