The NY Giants drafted wide receiver Malik Nabers in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft out of LSU, and it immediately invoked memories of Odell Beckham Jr. becoming a star in New York. Big Blue has been searching for a franchise wide receiver since shipping Beckham to Cleveland prior to the 2019 NFL Draft.
Many have tried to fill his shoes, from Golden Tate and Kenny Golladay, to Darius Slayton and even Sterling Shepard, but the Giants haven't been able to replicate the magic OBJ produced over the course of his tenure.
It'll be Nabers' goal to do exactly that with the Giants moving forward. As Beckham enters a new chapter in his career, signing with the Miami Dolphins, he reached out to Nabers, who he developed a relationship with during his time in Baton Rouge.
New Giants rookie WR Malik Nabers on the advice he’s gotten about playing in NY (including from Odell Beckham), and on how football saved his life. 👀 pic.twitter.com/UqjnWlMsPD
— Ralph Vacchiano (@RalphVacchiano) May 10, 2024
Odell Beckham Jr. gave Giants rookie Malik Nabers great advice on playing in NY
It's evident there's a ton of respect between the two wide receivers, and Nabers is looking to learn from Beckam's successes, as well as his failures in New York.
"Just continue to be who I am. Who I am, it got me here today. So he just kept telling me to, you know, still work hard. Stay with that chip on your shoulder."Malik Nabers
That's sound advice from Beckham to Nabers. The former burst onto the scene with the Giants to deliver an all-time rookie season, and now the former LSU star will look to do the same. Just checking out his numbers from last season should excite all of New York, and put the NFL on notice.
Even more impressive than his gaudy numbers, and they are dang gaudy — 89 receptions, 1,569 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2023 — is Nabers' attitude. Some have made jokes about Nabers' perceived excitement, or lack-there-of, to play with Daniel Jones, but you won't find that in Nabers' interviews, as he's excited to realize his dream of playing in the NFL with the Giants, no matter who's throwing him the football.
"First of all, I'm a funny person to be around. A good person to be around. You know, I just, as a person that plays football, that's kind of the thing that saved my life, so I take it seriously. I'm happy to be here. I'm finally here. So just to get out there and run it with the guys, it's a dream come true."Malik Nabers
As you can tell, Nabers has finally made it, and he's not taking anything for granted. He recognizes how special of a position he's in with the Giants, and what it'll provide for his family and friends. He puts on for them everytime he steps on the field.
Alas, Nabers is happy to be in the NFL, with the Giants, in New York (East Rutherford, New Jersey, if we want to get technical). Utilizing lessons learned from legends before him, he's looking to change the course of the franchise's trajectory, and he'll have ample opportunities to show why the team was confident in picking him No. 6 overall.
He's not a quarterback, but Nabers is proving in short order why he's a franchise-player, and we haven't even seen him show off on the field yet. The best is yet to come, it seems and it's great to know he has veterans like Beckham, a former Giants great, in his corner.