The New York Giants are expected to target a wide receiver with the No. 6 overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft. General manager Joe Schoen and his scouts have spent months evaluating the consensus best potential options in Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers, and Rome Odunze. While any of the three would be capable of filling the Giants' need for a WR1, Nabers is the ideal fit.
The need for a blue-chip receiver is obvious in East Rutherford. The Giants averaged a 31st-ranked 169.8 air yards per contest last season. Some may blame Daniel Jones' injury. It's worth noting when Jones had a career-best season in 2022, the offense still ranked 26th in passing. Throwing the ball with success has been a multi-year struggle.
Darius Slayton led the offense this past campaign in receiving yards with 770. That ranked 46th among all pass-catchers across the league. To add context, 12 NFL teams had not one, but at least two receivers that outproduced Slayton. The San Francisco 49ers, Minnesota Vikings, and Jacksonville Jaguars each had three receivers with more receiving yards than anyone on the Giants.
Nabers would immediately become their No. 1 receiver as a rookie. As a prospect, he possesses the complete package of acceleration, explosiveness, and route-running prowess. There also isn’t a better yards-after-catch receiver in the draft—Nabers is physically dominant in those run-after-catch scenarios. That would be appreciated by Jones, who is presumably still the starting quarterback until further notice. Nabers’ ability to create for himself would help Jones manufacture explosive plays—that’s something Jones has struggled to produce off his pure talent alone.
That’s also why I don’t exactly love the potential pairing with Odunze. Odunze is an outstanding prospect worthy of a top-10 selection. He’s a big-bodied vertical receiver who does his best work in the deeper portions of the field. I don’t trust Jones to consistently make those throws. Nabers is more of a three-level threat, making plays in the short to intermediate portions of the field with terrific short-area quickness.
One could argue the Giants shouldn’t draft to appease Jones, who may not be around much longer given the potential out in his contract after the 2024 season. It is worth thinking about the immediate future for Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll, however. Another miserable campaign wouldn’t guarantee they’re the regime in charge of drafting Jones’ replacement. Fixing the 2024 offense is key to proving they deserve more opportunities to right the ship. Nabers gives them the best opportunity to do that.
Plus, it’s not like there are limitations to Nabers’ game. While his short-to-intermediate skills project favorably in Daboll’s offense, he possesses the body control and contested-catch ability to make jaw-dropping vertical plays. The entire playbook is open to Nabers if the supporting cast can do their part.
New York’s offseason dealings have only made the need for a receiver even bigger. Do-it-all superstar Saquon Barkley joined the Philadelphia Eagles in free agency. Barkley produced more than 1,200 yards of total offense last season despite being limited to 14 games. His departure will place more emphasis on the passing game. Devin Singletary was signed as the new starting running back, but he's ill-equipped to handle the heavy workload Barkley has throughout his career. The Giants need to be a more balanced offense.
There's also the situation surrounding oft-injured tight end Darren Waller. Waller is still mulling retirement, according to multiple reports. Despite only playing in 12 games, Waller placed second on the team in receiving yards behind Slayton with 552. The Giants can't count on repeat production from Waller, who’s missed 19 games over the past three seasons.
The Giants' requirement for a go-to playmaking receiver has never been larger despite being present for multiple seasons. Schoen possesses a terrific opportunity to finally address the position with the No. 6 selection. Nabers represents the best overall fit.
