A friendly rivalry might not last long, especially after Malik Nabers issued a warning to Jayden Daniels, his former LSU teammate. With confidence, the first choice of the New York Giants in the 2024 NFL draft declared that he will defeat quarterback Daniels and the Washington Commanders twice a season.
Nabers may have spoken boldly, but the Giants are looking for a swagger from their new wide out. When questioned about taking on Daniels, the 20-year-old said to SINow’s Claudette Montana (via MLFootball’s Brandon), “I’ll beat him two times a year every time we play them.”
Malik Nabers Already Making a Good Impression
It hasn’t taken long for Nabers to offer the Giants a glimpse of what he can bring to the offense. Tellingly, he’s already connecting well with Daniel Jones during OTAs, something Charlotte Carroll of The Athletic highlighted with this crossing route.
No player needs Nabers to deliver more than Jones. The struggling signal-caller has needed a true No. 1 receiver for the longest time, so he’ll be out of excuses if he still can’t find his range with Nabers on the field.
Luckily, Nabers should have no trouble avoiding attention because, as Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News reported on Thursday, May 23, “was open on almost every 11-on-11 route he ran.”
The thing that was most promising about today’s #Giants practice was that Malik Nabers was open on nearly every 11-on-11 route that he took.
According to Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post, Nabers was wide open when he caught a long touchdown from Jones’ backup, Drew Lock, on what “might have been a double move.”
The hallmark of Nabers’ LSU career was his propensity for the big play. That’s what turned him into Daniels’ first choice.
The latter has the talent to tip the scales in the Giants against Commanders battle.
Giants Need to Be Ready for Jayden Daniels
Daniels won the Heisman Trophy the previous season by showcasing his potent dual-threat abilities. Even at the collegiate level, throwing 40 touchdowns (14 to Nabers) and rushing for 1,134 yards should make the other teams in the NFC East take notice of how difficult it will be to stop Daniels.
If the early impression of Daniels’ transition to the pros is any indication, the Giants will need to be prepared for this battle. He has been drawing attention during OTAs with some incredible passes.
“Daniels threw a deep pass to a tightly covered Jahan Dotson that defined perfect,” said Ben Standig of The Athletic. Taking a step along the sidelines during Wednesday, May 22 practice.
A few more special deliveries from Daniels were highlighted by 7News DC’s Scott Abraham.
Defending passes like these won’t be easy for a remade Giants’ secondary still needing help at cornerback. A strong front seven, spearheaded by All-Pro nose tackle Dexter Lawrence II and edge rushers Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux, should make it easier to keep him in the pocket.
Nabers’s clutch plays and the Giants’ swarming defense can keep them ahead of Daniels and the rebuilt Commanders.
For Heavy.com, James Dudko covers the Washington Commanders, Baltimore Ravens, New England Patriots, and New York Giants. Before joining Heavy in 2021, he had bylines at FanSided, Prime Time Sports Talk, and Bleacher Report. He began covering the NFL and world soccer in 2011.Additional information on James Dudko
