We’ve finally made it! The New York Giants play this Sunday night, and Big Blue fans are eager to see what the team will look like in year one of the John Harbaugh era.
Many are wondering what the G-Men’s passing attack will look like after the team released veteran wide receiver Darius Slayton on Monday, the longest-tenured Giant. His contract was costly, and his departure opened the door for some of the Giants’ other receiving options.
Following Slayton’s release, the G-Men are keeping four wideouts on their roster as of right now: Malik Nabers, Darnell Mooney, rookie Malachi Fields, and Odell Beckham Jr. That move puts Fields in position to give Jaxson Dart something he never had as a rookie last season.
Malachi Fields has a real opportunity waiting for him in Year 1
Nabers is recovering from a season-ending ACL injury, while OBJ has not played in two seasons. Mooney, meanwhile, hasn’t had a productive season since 2024, when he finished just shy of 1,000 yards. Before that, his last big season came in 2021, when he was playing under current Giants offensive coordinator Matt Nagy in Chicago. That leaves Fields as the breakout candidate to watch.
It’s worth noting that, for now, Mooney is listed as Big Blue’s WR2 on their unofficial depth chart behind Nabers; however, that can change quickly, and the stars are aligning for Fields to take that leap this year and eventually take over that role.
The Giants traded up to the third round to draft the Notre Dame product, and it’s safe to say the 23-year-old lived up to the early hype this summer, showing his potential and high upside.
Fields had an 88.5 receiving grade by Pro Football Focus after the preseason opener, where he had three receptions for 34 yards and a touchdown against the Minnesota Vikings and generated an impressive 153.5 passer rating when targeted.
That touchdown was the first Giants score of the year, giving Fields an early chance to show what he can do. He made the most of it and showed early signs he could become what Dart didn’t consistently have as a rookie: another dependable receiving option alongside Leek.
Last season, when Nabers went down in Week 4, Wan’Dale Robinson and Slayton had big shoes to fill. Now, Dart has more weapons to play with: a healthy Nabers, Mooney, OBJ, Fields, and tight end Isaiah Likely, who we also expect to have a breakout season.
When Big Blue drafted Fields back in April, few expected him to have a realistic shot at such a significant role this quickly, but look at how much can change in a few months. Mooney may enter Week 1 ahead of him on the depth chart, but Fields has already given the Giants plenty of reasons to believe he can push for a larger role as the season unfolds.
And if the rookie can turn his impressive summer into regular-season production, Dart might finally have the kind of secondary receiving threat he was missing for much of his rookie year.
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