Giants WR Malik Nabers Named One of 24 Intriguing Players for 2024 NFL Season

The Giants' electric rookie wideout will have a lot of eyes on him this season.

Aug 17, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (9) runs with the ball during the game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. / Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Another rookie sensation has possibly landed in the New York Giants' laps once again.

Malik Nabers, the electric wide receiver selected with the No.6 overall pick in April, has had every camera possible pointed in his direction since he strapped on his shiny blue helmet. As such, he was named to The Athletic’s “Most Intriguing Players of 2024” list ahead of the start of the 2024 season, Nabers coming in No. 10.

"The 6-foot, 200-pounder flashed in the preseason and seems capable of fulfilling the Giants’ long-standing need for an elite playmaker,” wrote list creator Mike Jones.

Jones believes that Nabers could do for quarterback Daniel Jones what Tyreek Hill did for the Dolphins' Tua Tagovailoa.

“Two years ago, the acquisition of Tyreek Hill helped Tua Tagovailoa settle in and begin ascending as a passer. Could Nabers’ presence have a similar impact on Jones, who lost one security blanket in Saquon Barkley and now enters a make-or-break season?"

With Nabers comes expectations to be the team's dynamic No.1 wide receiver, one they've lacked since the days of Odell Beckham Jr. The parallel between Nabers and Beckham has been heavily pushed, given they both attended LSU and were drafted in the first round by the Giants.

Nonetheless, Nabers is on the path to creating his own legacy. He's had a good start this summer in training camp, making acrobatic catches almost every practice and making defenders look silly. He flashed in the team's preseason loss to the Texans, hauling in four catches for 54 yards. Two of those catches were true eye-openers and had social media buzzing.

Malik Nabers and the family of Ray Flaherty 💙 pic.twitter.com/g8lGEzVnrb

— New York Giants (@Giants) September 7, 2024

Nabers received the rare honor of being granted a jersey number (one) that was previously retired by the club. End Ray Flaherty was the last to wear the single digit, and his family endorsed the club's decision to give the number to the rookie. This is a significant move by the Giants, who hope that Nabers can truly live up to the digit.

Nabers' presence alone will be interesting to watch. The Giants haven't had this caliber of receiver in years, so it will be interesting to see how this affects opposing defenses. 

Certainly, special attention will be placed upon Nabers, with the expectation that he'll be able to win most of his battles. However, extra attention to him will open opportunities for his counterparts. Darius Slayton, Jalin Hyatt, Wan'Dale Robinson, Daniel Bellinger, and Theo Johnson should all benefit from more one-on-one matchups when Nabers is on the field.

There's not much optimism in the media about the Giants offense this year, but Nabers has been a constant talking point that everyone is excited to see once Week 1 rolls around.

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