The New York Giants have been dealing with an injury scare to rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers. After a solid Week 1 performance that included five receptions for 66 yards, Nabers was in danger of missing Week 2.
Initial reports indicated that Nabers said something didn’t “feel right” in his knee, and it resulted in his being limited in practice.
Ian Rapoport reported that Giants head coach Brian Daboll stated there was “no concern” with Nabers’ injury, which appeared to indicate that he would be fully available for Sunday.
Dan Duggan of The Athletic shed more light on the situation, stating that despite Daboll saying that Nabers said his knee didn’t “feel right,” he was going to be fully ready to play on Sunday. The Giants decided to just play things safe to ensure their emerging rookie star was fully healthy.
Nabers is set to become the Giants’ biggest playmaker, and his Week 1 game is already proof that it can happen. Despite New York getting blown out by the Vikings, 28-6, the LSU product had a respectable pro debut.
Nabers caught his first pass late into the first quarter, but he was able to show his hands and speed by turning his first pro catch into a 25-yard gain.
The Giants bet big on Nabers, as they spent their No. 6 overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft to select Nabers out of LSU. The rumors surrounding the draft were that the Giants were poised to make a move to select a quarterback to become the successor for Daniel Jones.
Instead of doing that, the Giants chose to buy into Jones’ abilities and draft a brand-new playmaker in Nabers. So far, the confidence in Jones might be a bit misplaced.
Week 1 just happened, but Jones looked uncomfortable all game. He ended the day with 186 yards and two interceptions.
The Giants have invested a lot of time and money into Jones, and their “Hard Knocks” appearance proved that the organization fully backs him for now. Hopefully, Jones can be more comfortable moving forward and can link up plenty with Nabers.
Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. was labeled the top wide receiver prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft, but he was non-existent in the offensive attack for the Arizona Cardinals during Sunday’s loss against the Buffalo Bills.
As it stands, Nabers appears to be the more dynamic rookie, which is good news for a Giants team that has needed a dynamic receiver.