It's hard not to get too excited about NY Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers. The No. 6 overall pick is saying all the right things after he was taken in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft by general manager Joe Schoen and Co.
The Giants have their WR1 and the LSU product is going to be expected to produce like one. Before Week 1 even gets here, ESPN thinks he will. In a new piece, ESPN's Mike Clay has predicted stats for rookies in '24 and he thinks Nabers will finish with 1,032 yards. We'd sign up for that in a heartbeat.
Can Malik Nabers top 1,000 yards for the NY Giants this season?
As we're sure you're fully aware of, the Giants haven't had a 1,000-yard receiver since Odell Beckham Jr. was still with the team. The attempts to try and replace his production haven't gone according to plan, with Kenny Golladay and Kadarius Toney being swing and misses for the front office.
Golladay will go down as one of the worst free-agent signings in team history, while Toney was traded to the Chiefs not even after two full seasons with the organization. Now, the pressure is on Nabers to provide this team with a superstar wideout.
He has all the tools to become that for NY. Last campaign for the Tigers, Nabers finished with 89 receptions for 1,569 yards and 14 touchdowns. With his fantastic hands and eye-opening speed, he can stretch the field for an offense and provide defensive backs with loads of problems.
For now, Daniel Jones is expected to be the Week 1 starter and having someone like Nabers could help him start off hot. CBS Sports thinks Jones is the No. 32 quarterback in the league, which was a slap in the face. Imagine if he and Nabers can build early chemistry and make magic happen together?
Jones would potentially silence his haters and Nabers would prove he's worth the hype. Come September, we'll see just how special Nabers can be with the ball in his hands, but don't be shocked if he reminds you of OBJ in the coming months.