16. Malik Nabers, WR, New York Giants. Age 22 (7/28/03). One of the few bright spots for the Giants last season, Nabers had 109 catches for 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns. Nabers’ 109 receptions ranked fifth in the league and his 170 targets finished second behind Chase’s 175. Chase was catching passes from bonafide star Joe Burrow. Nabers caught passes from four different quarterbacks last season.
Gronk, Edelman taking the over for Giants wins
The Giants welcomed Malik Nabers back to practice on Tuesday after the star wide receiver missed time with a sore back. With the Sept. 7 season-opener quickly approaching, there’s been a lot of anticipation to see the Giants’ offensive weapon in action with the three new quarterbacks the team added this offseason.
But the thing was, Nabers didn’t really do much. He warmed up and participated in individual drills, but he didn’t enter a single series and spent the remainder of the practice on the sidelines with his helmet off.
Receiver Beaux Collins, an undrafted rookie, is in a similar situation. He’s made plays throughout training camp and preseason games, but a place on special teams is where he can best find his way onto the roster.
“Beaux is, first of all, the person is built the right way,” Ghobrial said. “He wants to do everything right, and you can tell he’s a football player, so I think [he’s] instinctual, I think he’s tough, I think he’s a strong player and obviously has that long speed, so those are all things that can contribute to him being a good special-teams player. We certainly want to continue to see him in those roles, but in terms of the person, he’s just bought in completely to being the best football player he can be and doing whatever it takes to help this football team, so it’s cool to see that kid have success, and I know he’s going to be driven to keep going.”
The Jaxson Dart hype train rolls on. I don’t mean to throw cold water on the parade, but I would say to hold off on calling him the next big thing. Dart has been fine in his preseason reps, but Brian Daboll and co. have insulated him with a bevy of screens and passes at or behind the line of scrimmage. What Dart has done well is not have many negative plays and use his legs when given the opportunity. The Giants’ schedule is ROUGH, but I forsee Dart starting earlier than most expected.
Wilson isn’t just fighting Father Time, either. He’s also fighting perception. No matter what you think of how his play has aged, it’s hard to argue against the optics of the coaches who have chosen to move on from him in the past five seasons: Pete Carroll, Sean Payton and Mike Tomlin are all potential Pro Football Hall of Fame coaches.
The reactions after Wilson’s moonball connects
1. QB Jaxson Dart, New York Giants. Dart is clearly the future in New York. He may well be the present. This year’s 25th overall draft pick completed 14 of 16 passes—including 13 straight completions—for 137 yards and a touchdown against the Jets. The first-year quarterback ran for another score.
The Giants coaching staff wasn’t asking Dart to make big-time throw after big-time throw. But a near-perfect preseason performance, while orchestrating the offense at a high level, is a positive step for any young performer. In Dart’s case, he may be forcing the team’s hand to make a decision sooner rather than later.
4. S Makari Paige, New York Giants (87.1). Paige improved upon his 54.1 PFF overall grade against Buffalo in preseason Week 1 by earning an 87.1 mark against the Jets (fifth among safeties). He allowed two catches on two targets, including a four-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter while lined up in the slot, but he also delivered a big play earlier in the second half when he made a diving interception with the Jets threatening to move into Giants territory.
QB Tommy DeVito. This is simply a numbers crunch, as DeVito was always a long shot to make the 53-man roster. The Giants have Russell Wilson as the starter, Jameis Winston as the backup, and Jaxson Dart ready to seize playing time as a first-round pick. Sure they could cut Winston, but he’s a good No. 2 and buys more time for Dart to develop. DeVito could end up on a 53-man roster somewhere.
Eli on expectations coming into the year
20. New York Giants. For the first time in a long time, the future looks bright in New York. GM Joe Schoen has re-shaped the franchise and stacked it with young talent like WR Malik Nabers, edge rushers Kayvon Thibodeaux and Abdul Carter, and RB Tyrone Tracy. Even DT Dexter Lawrence and edge rusher Brian Burns are only 27, though they’d need new deals before 2030. And yes, they do have a quarterback of the future in Jaxson Dart, though it’s hard to even guess on his potential until he throws his first NFL pass. But the pieces are there if Dart is the right guy. The one big problem about their future: Coach Brian Daboll might need to win this year to avoid being fired, especially since John Mara hasn’t been very patient with coaches over the past decade. If he gives Daboll some more time, they could be on to something. But without a turnaround in 2025, more change likely looms for this franchise.
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