Daniel Jones never got to play with Odell Beckham Jr., but Malik Nabers could be his OBJ.
In fact, that’s exactly what the Giants need him to be.
They need Nabers to be the every-down touchdown threat that elevates their quarterback and puts the team in position to win more games as a rookie.
It’s fun to think of Nabers as an exciting building block for the future as the Giants’ players prepare to report for training camp on Tuesday. Organizations need young talent, cost-controlled contracts and stars to create and sustain success.
But this Giants regime does not have the luxury of treating its third season as a disappointing and incomplete on-ramp to some hypothetical promise in 2025 or 2026.
They need to show meaningful progress on the field now.
That means hitting on the Nabers pick to the extent that he either validates Jones’ $40 million contract, or reinforces Daboll’s prowess as a play-caller, or improves the team’s win total — or does some combination of the three.
See, if the Giants only won six games again in 2024, with a lifeless offense and poor game management again eliminating them from contention before Halloween, no one will want to hear about a long-term vision.
But if the Giants only win six games with Jones thriving and Nabers exploding — and the team was losing a lot of high-scoring games by scores like 31-30 — maybe there could be genuine belief that some of the franchise’s core investments were yielding return.
Of course, if the defense regresses dramatically, that wouldn’t reflect well on Daboll’s need to hire a new defensive coordinator in his third NFL season. And it would be a disappointment given Joe Schoen’s investment in pass rusher Brian Burns.
Still, there would be something to latch onto if the offense entered the modern era with Nabers as its focal point.
Star receivers also can help teams conceal deficiencies in their offensive line.
The Giants, for example, have been trying for more than a decade to fix their O-line to better support their quarterbacks and running games. Personnel is absolutely part of it.
On the eve of training camp on Monday, for example, the Giants hosted free agent right guard Greg Van Roten on a visit. And while it makes sense for the Long Island native to reconnect with his former Raiders O-line coach, Carmen Bricillo, it’s fair to wonder if Van Roten’s visit means that right tackle Evan Neal (ankle) may not be ready for the start of camp.
Schoen already signed Raiders tackle/guard Jermaine Eluemunor, Packers guard Jon Runyan Jr. and Buccaneers guard Aaron Stinnie. Van Roten, 34, presumably is looking for starter snaps coming off a strong year in Las Vegas. And Eluemunor and Runyan Jr. played as the Giants’ first-team left and right guards all spring, respectively.
So the only way a Van Roten signing seemingly would make sense at this juncture is if the Giants already need to kick Eluemunor outside to right tackle, which would create a guard competition or opportunity on the first-team offense.
The point is, though, that some of the NFL’s best offenses have injuries and personnel holes on their lines, too. They simply compensate by pushing the ball down the field with playmakers, speed and quarterback play.
Daboll’s Buffalo Bills once did that with Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis. Mike McDaniel’s Miami Dolphins have unlocked the best of Tua Tagovailoa with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. Last year’s Houston Texans did it with C.J. Stroud, Nico Collins and Tank Dell.
If Nabers is an unguardable game-breaker, and Jones is able to get rid of the ball a half-second earlier, that is the kind of seemingly marginal improvement that create a major shift in opinion about the promise and ability of a team’s line, offense and team.
No one is saying that Nabers has to be or will be Beckham, an internationally-recognized star and brand who went for an other-worldly 91 catches, 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns in 12 games as a rookie in 2014.
And certainly not every highly-drafted wide receiver blossoms right away. Some actually bust and never pan out at all. But there is plenty of precedent for a Year 1, difference-making surge:
The Vikings’ Justin Jefferson went for 88 catches, 1,400 yards and seven TDs in 2020.
The Bengals’ Ja’Marr Chase had 81 catches, 1,455 yards and 13 TDs in 2021.
The Jets’ Garrett Wilson made 83 catches for 1,103 yards and four TDs in 2022 despite a poor quarterback room.
That is what the Giants need from Nabers: they need their No. 6 overall pick to change their identity, change their offensive production and change the conversation.