The "Sky’s the Limit” for Giants Receiver Malik Nabers

Nabers' head coach and teammates are excited by what the rookie first-rounder brings to the table.

Jul 26, 2024; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (9) speaks at a press conference after training camp at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. / Lucas Boland-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Giants desperately need a consistent big-playmaker for their offense, which is why they pivoted to wide receiver Malik Nabers in this year’s draft.

So far, Nabers has been making good on the potential he showed in college at LSU where “big play” was his middle name. Nabers, who posted 89 catches for 1,596 yards and 14 touchdowns as a junior, has been mostly with the Giants first-team offense.

• RELATED: How Malik Nabers' Skillset Can Fill "Giant" Offensive Need

There, he has been on the receiving end of some of the biggest plays thus far from quarterback Daniel Jones, including a picture-perfect strike that Nabers actually dialed up with the blessing of head coach/play caller Brian Daboll and quarterback Daniel Jones.  

MORE MORE MOREEE!!!! pic.twitter.com/b4vyNRroR9

— New York Giants (@Giants) July 26, 2024

Daboll, who in the Hard Knocks series showed a growing appreciation for Nabers’s game, has only seen that appreciation grow every day since the 20-year-old has come into camp, praising the young receiver for his work ethic and his maturity.

“Yeah, I've seen it every day I've been around him,” Daboll said. “His mentality is the mentality you need to have. He's humble, but he works extremely hard. We've moved him in a lot of places.

Nabers has kept his head down as he continues his acclimation to the NFL. In practice, he’s mainly been going against Deonte Banks, the Giants’ top cornerback. While he’s naturally confident in himself and his abilities, he admitted that there have been times when he’s had to check himself to make sure he doesn’t get off track mentally.

“I had my moment. I'm not sure if everybody does, but I had mine, just how I react to the league, these older guys and I'm a rookie. Coming in at a younger age, so just how I can adapt. I had the same thing going into college. I had the same thing going into high school. It's just something that you go through as you improve,” he said.

Whatever he’s done to get himself into the right frame of mind has worked so far. 

“I mean, the sky is the limit, you know?” said veteran receiver Allen Robinson II of his young teammate. “Whenever you have a guy who has the amount of talent and the  skillset that he has, he can take this thing however far he wants to.”

• RELATED: Malik Nabers: Football "Saved My Life"

Daboll agrees with Robinson’s take.

“It's a credit to him and the amount of work that he puts in,” he said. “He knows he's got a long way to go. It's just a couple of practices, but obviously, we thought he was a good player where we selected him.”

What really has Daboll excited is Nabers’ competitive streak and how he despises losing.

“I told you I love the person. I love his competitive desire, his will, his grit,” Daboll said. “But he knows he's two days in. He's had an OTAs. He's not where he wants to be. No one is, but he's got the right mindset.”

Daboll said he isn’t concerned that as Nabers gains more traction in the NFL his competitive nature might lead to primadonna-like behavior. 

“I just think that’s who he is. He’s competitive. He wants to do well, and he's willing to do anything he can do to be as good as he can be,” he said. 

“He knows he hasn't played in the league. There's going to be some rough spots whenever those come up, and we're here for him and he's here for us. We communicate. We work well together, but I don't want to let him lose who he is. Be who you are.”

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