The New York Giants took one of the NFL Draft’s top playmakers on Thursday night, selecting LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers with the No. 6 overall pick. The Giants’ new 20-year-old playmaker could be an elite weapon for them as early as his rookie season. Nabers has the potential to transform the team’s offense from day one.
Malik Nabers is an elite deep-threat
Creating more explosive plays is a priority for Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka entering the 2024 campaign. Adding Nabers to the lineup will undoubtedly help him achieve that goal.
Nabers is arguably the best deep-threat receiver in this year’s draft class. In 2023, he hauled in 19 of 29 deep targets (second-most in the draft class), racking up an impressive 624 yards (third-most in the draft class) and nine touchdowns.
Nabers earned the highest deep receiving grade (97.8) according to Pro Football Focus in 2023:
“Malik Nabers may have been the most successful deep receiver in this class, as not only did he receive the highest receiving grade on deep balls, but he ranked in the top three of each category presented here,” wrote PFF’s Jim Wyman. “There’s a good reason many analysts have him as the top receiver in this year’s class.”
Standing at 6-foot, 200 pounds, Nabers has the size and athletic profile to make big plays downfield. He ran a 4.38s 40-yard dash at his Pro Day this offseason combined with a 42-inch vertical jump and 10-foot-9-inch broad jump. Nabers scored a 9.67 relative athletic score (RAS) which ranked 112 out of 3,402 wide receivers from 1987 to 2024.
His athletic profile compares similarly to that of former LSU wideout and current Cincinnati Bengals All-Pro Ja’Marr Chase:
Of those 29 deep targets Nabers received, eight of them were contested targets. He hauled in five of his eight contested catch attempts, demonstrating an ability to be physical at the catch point.
Nabers is dynamic after the catch
Nabers is one of those players who is a threat to score from anywhere on the field. He is a truly dynamic weapon with the ball in his hands. In 2023, Nabers racked up 589 yards after the catch (6.6 YAC/REC) and forced 30 missed tackles, which ranked fourth among all wide receivers in the draft class.
“(Ja’Marr) Chase was more of a dude physically and (Justin) Jefferson was already really skilled when he came out, but you can see some flashes of both of those guys with the way [Nabers] plays.” – AFC personnel executive
via Malik Nabers’s Draft Profile by Lance Zierlein on NFL.com
The Giants needed an elite weapon on the outside
Last offseason, the Giants traded for veteran tight end Darren Waller, who was supposed to be their elite playmaker in the receiving game. Injuries held Waller back last season and now he’s contemplating retirement. But Nabers will now enter the lineup as Big Blue’s primary receiving threat and hopefully serve as an elite weapon for the Giants on the outside.
Nabers aligned on the outside on 46% of his snaps in 2023. He’s a versatile talent who can make plays aligned both inside and outside. He has the size and strength to compete on the outside at the next level, finally giving the Giants an outside receiving threat which they have lacked for years.
Nabers will create more opportunities for other Giants playmakers
Having a receiving target who can make plays at all three levels of the field will open things up for other Giants playmakers. Defenses will need to key in on Nabers, leaving more favorable matchups on the table for wide receivers Jalin Hyatt, Darius Slayton, and Wan’Dale Robinson.
Hyatt will have more opportunities to get open downfield with safeties double-teaming Nabers, which should also open things up underneath for Robinson over the middle of the field. Slayton will continue to play on the outside and should face more one-on-one matchups with teams’ No. 2-3 cornerbacks with Nabers being the primary receiver.
In 2023, Nabers racked up 89 receptions for 1,569 yards and 14 touchdowns. He was among the best wide receivers in the nation and proved to be one of the top prospects at any position in this year’s draft class. The Giants landed themselves a premiere playmaker with their first-round selection who should have an immediate impact on their offense’s ability to rack up points this season.