The Giants did not select the successor to Daniel Jones Thursday night in the 2024 NFL Draft but in the first round they did scoop up a player who figures to make Jones’ life easier on the field.
Every quarterback wants a stud wide receiver to throw to and the Giants with the No. 6 overall pick added a top playmaker, picking Malik Nabers out of LSU, a pass-catcher who could have an early impact the way another LSU product, Odell Beckham Jr., did for the Giants a decade ago.
The Giants came into the first day draft interested in finding a quarterback but they were not willing or able to come up with a trade to get up high enough to make it happen.
Instead, they addressed a position of need. They already had decent options at wide receiver in Wan’Dale Robinson, Jalin Hyatt and Darius Slayton but general manager Joe Schoen admitted there was no true No. 1 target on the roster.
Nabers is that target, sturdily built at 6-foot and 200 pounds, possessing great speed (4.35 in the 40-yard dash) and an uncanny ability to separate from defenders.
He is strong enough and skilled enough to line up inside or outside and should quickly adapt to the NFL based on his ability to run every route.
