It only took one season for Malik Nabers to establish himself as one of the best young superstars in the NFL. His play was a loud wake-up call that the New York Giants offense had been wasting time, talent, and Sundays with whatever they’d been doing the past couple of seasons.
Nabers got dropped into one of the worst passing situations in the league and still made it look easy. The G-Men cycled through quarterbacks all season, but Nabers didn't let that slow him down in the slightest. He finished with 109 catches for 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns. He even earned a trip to the Pro Bowl for his efforts.
So even though Big Blue Nation had zero confidence in the offense, Nabers was a different story, and he continues to be.
Bleacher Report’s Damian Parson dropped a confidence meter for the 2024 wideout class. Nabers secured the most confidence of any second-year wideout, pulling a 9.5 and standing alone as the only one to crack 9.0.
Malik Nabers ranked as most trusted WR from the 2024 draft class
Parson handed Nabers a 9.5 out of 10 on the confidence meter. That’s more trust than Marvin Harrison Jr. (7.5), Rome Odunze (8), and Brian Thomas Jr. (9). And honestly, it makes a lot of sense.
Here’s what Parson had to say:
“Feed Nabers as much as possible because he is the needle mover for this offense. He is the engine of the passing attack. One question to consider: can [Russell] Wilson get him the football enough on in-breaking routes? Wilson doesn’t throw the ball into the middle of the field often.
In-breakers were Nabers’ most targeted route, followed by vertical routes. In his second year, Nabers shouldn’t take a step back. His game should continue to mature, and his touchdowns should increase with a full season’s workload.”
That’s the plan. Feed him and let opposing defenses figure it out. The Giants brought in Wilson, Jameis Winston, and Jaxson Dart. The front office understood the assignment: Bring guys in who can get Nabers the ball. The offense clearly runs through him, and there’s no reason to get cute about it.
He led all rookie receivers in receptions and torched secondaries with a revolving door of quarterbacks. So if you’re wondering how much better he can get in Year 2... the better question might be how much damage will he do with a competent QB room?
ESPN’s Mike Clay certainly isn’t betting on a sophomore slump. He’s got Nabers projected for 107 catches, 1,423 yards, and 8 touchdowns. Just one other reason for fans to fully embrace the Nabers experience. Feel confident — it's okay. Because if Nabers looks this good when things are hitting the fan, imagine what happens when the offense is actually... capable.