The New York Giants added another weapon for Jaxson Dart in the NFL Draft, sending picks No. 105 and No. 145, plus a 2027 fourth-round pick, to the Browns for pick No. 74. They used that pick on Notre Dame wide receiver Malachi Fields, a move that already seems to be benefiting Big Blue.
The 6-foot-4, 223-pound wideout has the opportunity to quickly rise the depth chart and become a star in New York, and injuries may just work exactly in his favor.
Malik Nabers is still recovering from a season-ending ACL tear, which he suffered in Week 4 of last season, and Darius Slayton recently underwent surgery for a core-muscle injury.
Although both Nabers and Slayton should be ready for training camp, barring any setbacks, Fields has the opportunity to make his presence known this summer and blow John Harbaugh and staff away, as he already did during his pre-draft meetings and the combine.
Malachi Fields has a real chance to move up the Giants' depth chart
In a recent episode of Giants Life, the cameras caught the behind-the-scenes interviews that Big Blue conducted with prospects at the NFL combine, and we got a glimpse of what Harbaugh and Joe Schoen saw in Fields in the pre-draft process.
Fields was asked what his biggest trait is as a receiver, where he stated: “big catches, tracking the ball down the field, and making a play on the ball, you know those contested catches or a big block that springs running backs."
That's what everyone wants to hear.
The Giants signed Darnell Mooney to a one-year deal in free agency. He's expected to play a pretty significant role in the passing game as a primary receiver. However, it remains possible that Fields could quickly contribute and challenge Mooney’s spot on the depth chart if he performs well out of the gate.
As for Slayton -- whose core-muscle injury we don't yet know the severity of -- he is projected to be a starter. If he begins training camp slowly or faces any setbacks, the rookie could provide real competition for his spot as well.
Slayton, Fields, and Mooney are each expected to secure spots on the 53-man roster as key wide receivers, but Fields will primarily be vying to move up the depth chart by directly challenging the more established Mooney and Slayton for starting roles.
The G-Men liked what they saw out of Fields in college and in their meetings with him at the NFL Combine, and traded up to draft him in the third round, which tells you how much confidence Harbaugh and Schoen have in him as a playmaker who can contribute right away.
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