Insider expands on how Giants grew comfortable with Malik Nabers
Shortly after the New York Giants made Malik Nabers the sixth pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, general manager Joe Schoen explained why Nabers being involved in a gun-carrying arrest in February 2023 didn’t prevent the club from choosing the LSU Tigers wide receiver.
For a piece published Monday, NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated acknowledged that “Nabers’ reputation for being high maintenance was a concern for teams” ahead of the draft. However, Breer added that Schoen and Giants head coach Brian Daboll “came to a comfort level pretty quickly” regarding Nabers.
“(Daboll and Schoen) went to dinner with Nabers on the 30 visit,” Breer noted. “Ahead of the LSU pro day, because Daboll and Schoen were at the owners meetings and had to fly in the morning of to see the workout, the Giants sent a couple of staffers to another dinner with him. They met at the combine, and Schoen also saw Nabers play live over Labor Day weekend against Florida State.”
Interestingly, Breer added that Schoen and Daboll both have experience working with receivers “that could be a little much” behind the scenes. Breer specifically named six-time Pro Bowl selection Brandon Marshall, current Houston Texans star Stefon Diggs and Carolina Panthers legend Steve Smith.
“While there were some headaches with those guys, all three had a fierce competitiveness that, in most cases, would supersede the issues between the lines,” Breer said. “Nabers doesn’t turn 21 until late July, so the hope is he’ll continue to mature and grow into someone who can handle being a star in New York. And as that happens, the Giants are pretty confident the stuff you can’t teach will continue to show up.”
Questions about the future of quarterback Daniel Jones have hovered over the Giants since this past fall, meaning Daboll and Schoen took a risk in drafting Nabers instead of Washington signal-caller Michael Penix Jr., Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy or Bo Nix of the Oregon.
If Daboll and Schoen are wrong about Nabers maturing and growing coming off a relatively harmless Offensive Rookie of the Year Award bet gone wrong, Giants co-owner John Mara could blow things up as soon as January 2025.
More must-reads:
- Early 2025 mock draft has Giants, Cowboys hitting reset at QB
- NFC rookie check-in: 2024 draft picks who could replace a veteran
- The ‘New York Giants head coaches’ quiz
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NFL
Cowboys’ late round draft pick disagreeing with popular football take couldn’t be more perfect
In his first year of college, Dallas Cowboys cornerback and fifth-round draft pick Caelen Carson earned a nickname that would make any defensive back in the nation proud as heck. Seatbelt. The reason? He was locking everybody up. Doing so as a true freshman, his roommate promptly gave him the moniker. Coming into the NFL, Carson’s biggest calling card is his flexibility. At college, he lined up primarily at wide corner but when needed moved inside. In 2023, he essentially split the snaps 50/50 in a couple of games, moving around as needed. “That was a big thing with them drafting me and people who were looking at me in the draft,” Carson told reporters during rookie minicamp. “Just versatility, I think I can play inside and outside, so I think I can show that.” As passing offenses take ahold of the NFL, a big talking point over the last few years has been the rise of the nickelback, with some coaches going as far as calling it the most difficult position on defense. Corners that man the slot need to worry about fitting the run and about making the tackle in the box all while also taking care of wide receivers running up the seam on vertical routes. It’s a tough job. That’s why it was almost perfect when Carson dismissed all that talk and laid out why he believes playing out wide and playing inside is the same thing. “Not really,” he said when asked if playing outside and inside was very different. “Because you’re covering somebody regardless and then you’re in zone (coverage), you’re in zone regardless. Not too much a difference.” Carson will have a very unique mentor on the Cowboys roster in that sense as DaRon Bland’s career path had him play inside as a rookie before he took on a role outside following Trevon Diggs’ injury early in the 2023 season. Bland went on to win All-Pro. Carson claims he’s comfortable wherever they ask him to play and expects to be a Bland-type player in that sense. “I think I can cover,” Carson added. “It doesn’t really matter to me. I feel comfortable anywhere on the field, corner, nickel, anything. I think I can cover anywhere.” I don’t know about you, but hearing this from a player who was picked because of his versatility feels absolutely perfect and says everything about the player the Cowboys got. Even still, fans should temper their expectations as Carson is likely going to fill a special teams role before he sniffs the field as a defender as the Cowboys are set starting lineup-wise with Diggs, Bland, and Jourdan Lewis.
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NHL
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NBA
‘Blockbuster’ Trade Proposal Sends Bucks’ Damian Lillard To Cavaliers
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