Giants WR Malik Nabers, Dru Phillips Among Highest Graded Rookies League Wide

Two of Joe Schoen's 2024 draft picks are already playing at a high level.

Sep 22, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (1) celebrates after catching a touchdown during the first half against the Cleveland Browns at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The 2024 NFL season is still in its infancy. Still, several rookies are already playing like seasoned pros, and two of those landed on Pro Football Focus’s Top 10 Rookie Performer list just so happen to be New York Giants: receiver Malik Nabers and cornerback Andru Phillips, ranked Nos. 1 and 2, respectively.

Nabers has lived up to the draft hype and then some. Through three games, he's fifth in the NFL in receiving yards with 271 and has grabbed three touchdowns. 

He became the youngest player in NFL history to catch 20+ passes, 250+ yards, and 3+ touchdowns in his first three career games, his starpower growing by the week.

"Nabers impressed for the second straight week for the Giants, scoring twice in the team's first win of the season,” wrote PFF analyst and list compiler Gordon McGuiness. 

“He’s averaged 2.38 yards per route run over the first three weeks of the season, and his 80.1 PFF receiving grade ranks ninth among all players at the position."

Following his 127-yard, one-touchdown performance against the Commanders, Nabers came back with a vengeance against Cleveland. His two touchdowns in the first half and a couple of acrobatic catches helped lift the Giants to their first win.

Looking ahead, Nabers is likely to draw Cowboys star cornerback Trevon Diggs. Both players were going at it earlier in the offseason on X (formerly known as Twitter), but Nabers has wisely decided to let his play do the talking as the Giants look to snap a six-game losing streak against the Cowboys. 

If the Giants want to snap their cold streak against one of their biggest rivals, they'll need another strong performance from Nabers.

Phillips has been a pleasant surprise. Initially, there was some skepticism about why the Giants would take him in the third round despite his lack of ball production in college. However, he's displayed a new type of play style that the Giants have lacked at the slot cornerback position, answering all those questions and then some. 

"Through three weeks, he has earned an 83.9 PFF coverage grade and allowed just 28 yards and seven receptions in coverage," McGuiness wrote.

Phillips played sparingly in Week 1–only 16 defensive snaps–but still made his presence felt. He made four tackles, one for a loss, and forced a fumble early in the first quarter against the Vikings.

In week 2, Phillips was able to show what he could bring to this defense. He was all over the place against the Commanders, totaling 12 tackles, two tackles for a loss, and one sack. 

Unfortunately, Phillips only played a few snaps against the Browns before injuring his calf. He won't be available to play in Week 4 against the Cowboys, which is a potential huge loss to an already banged-up Giants secondary.

Although the rest of the Giants rookies didn’t make the top-10 list, the Giants Class of 2024 looks like a homerun for general manager Joe Schoen, with still much football left to play. 

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