The NY Giants were seeking a draft day trade with the New England Patriots to move into the top three and land quarterback prospect Drake Maye, but general manager Joe Schoen swung and missed. Despite missing out on the team's potential signal-caller of the future, Big Blue still drafted wideout Malik Nabers with the No. 6 overall pick. The LSU standout has the potential to become the next WR star in East Rutherford.
Nabers' talent is irrefutable. Some scouts regarded him as the top receiving prospect in the 2024 draft class after his outstanding junior year in which he reeled in 89 receptions for 1,569 yards and 14 TDs.
People aren't concerned about his skill set, but there are certainly questions about the man who will be feeding him the rock. In an article byThe Athletic's Mike Sando, an anonymous NFL executive stated that Nabers won't be able to fix the Daniel Jones situation in NY.
League exec doesn't think Malik Nabers will get Daniel Jones over the hump
"I don’t think Nabers can save him, not without (Saquon) Barkley"Anonymous NFL exec
Giants fans might not want to admit it, but the exec has a point here. The departure of longtime running back Saquon Barkley certainly minimizes NY's offensive potential for the upcoming season, and Danny Dimes' history suggests that Nabers might not live up to his full potential while he remains under center for the G-Men.
Jones is working his way back from a torn ACL he suffered after playing six games last season. The former first-round pick is entering the second campaign of a four-year, $160 million extension he signed following 2022. Jones has never thrown to a receiver of Nabers' caliber, yet he hasn't given NY supporters much of a reason to think he would miraculously transform into a star now that he has a true WR1.
He has shown flashes in the past as a dual-threat QB who can tuck it and run or make some nice throws. However, he is generally viewed as a game manager who often takes the check-down rather than going for the big play. Considering Nabers is a lightning-quick deep threat who averaged 17.6 yards per catch at LSU, he might not post averages that high with his new team.
Some people are so skeptical of Jones, rumors of Drew Lock potentially stealing the QB1 job from him have begun to surface. The 6-0, 200-pound speedster should still be one of the most electrifying rookies in the league. Regardless, the addition of Nabers to NY's offense would have been much more impactful if Schoen could have kept around his star ball carrier in the backfield so there would be less attention on him from opposing defenses.