Giants' Malik Nabers, Bobby Okereke Projected to Accomplish This Feat This Year

The Giants haven't had many players achieve Pro Bowl honors. CBS Sports Cody Benjamin believes that might change in 2024.

Dec 31, 2023; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants linebacker Bobby Okereke (58) celebrates his sack against the Los Angeles Rams during the second quarter at MetLife Stadium. / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Giants roster hasn’t exactly been blessed with scores of All-Pro and Pro Bowl players, but CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin believes that if things fall into place, there could be two more Giants players who end up joining interior defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence as Pro Bowl caliber players. 

The first player is rookie receiver Malik Nabers, whom Benjamin thinks will be among the first rookies to make the Pro Bowl in their rookie season.

“Nabers brings much-needed electricity to the Giants' offense. Considering the dearth of other top-tier weapons in the lineup, he could receive a mountainous target share from Daniel Jones and Co."

While Nabers’ potential has yet to be seen professionally, there is a lot of optimism based on his college production.

Last season, Nabers, named a First-team Associated Press All-American, First-team All-SEC, and a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award (the nation's top WR), finished second in the FBS with 1,569 receiving yards (17.6 per) and tied for third with 14 receiving touchdowns.

He also led the SEC with 89 receptions and set an LSU school record with 189 career receptions. Nabers brings explosiveness, an ability to separate from sticky defenders, and a knack for making highlight-reel-style catches to the table.

“He can be a tremendous weapon for us,” said quarterback Daniel Jones, who has had to watch Nabers during the spring drills due to the quarterback’s ongoing recovery from ACL surgery. 

“He can do everything, there isn’t much that he can’t do from a route-running standpoint. He is dynamic with the ball in his hands and strong, fast, explosive, and catches the ball well. Yeah he does a lot well.

“I think he’s had a really good spring, he looked good out there and made a lot of plays. You know, it takes time to make it work and get the timing down, and we’ll put that in,” Jones added.

The other Giants player Benjamin believes will make his first Pro Bowl this season is inside linebacker Bobby Okereke. 

“A sideline-to-sideline force in his Giants debut, Okereke has been a tackle machine since his days with the Indianapolis Colts,” Benjamin said. “With Brian Burns added to the front seven, his impact might be felt even more.”

Okereke has routinely finished near the top of the league in tackles over the last few seasons, posting over 130 tackles in the last three campaigns. In addition to his play, Okereke has been durable; last season, he didn’t miss a single snap, and he hasn’t missed a game in three seasons.   

This year, Okereke is looking forward to having more added to his plate. “ I get to play a little bit more coverage," he said. “The way (Defensive Coordinator) Shane (Bowen) calls it, we're going to be multiple. We'll be able to combat the offensive strengths, so we’ll have a good mix of everything.”

Okereke believes he has an advantage, having played in other defensive systems at the NFL level. “I think I'm just adding tools to my tool belt,” he said. 

“The Wink Martindale style of defense, I have that in my tool belt; the Eberflus style of defense, I have that in my tool belt; the Gus Bradley style of defense, I got that in my tool belt, and now I'm learning Shane's. I think it's just making me that much better of a football player.” 

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