EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Three days into training camp and Malik Nabers is delivering on the expectations of being a play-making wide receiver who can eat chunks of yards for the New York Giants offense in a single play.
The No. 6 overall draft pick has gone deep every day and most of the time it has been against cornerback Deonte Banks, the team’s No. 1 pick last year and already their top defensive back.
Granted, it’s early in camp and Nabers has a long way to go, but he is making plays. He also has to stay healthy, hope the revamped offensive line gives Daniel Jones time to throw and he has to overcome whatever defenses devise to slow him down.
Don’t forget, the Giants (6-11) acquired tight end Darren Waller before last season and he was outstanding in the first few weeks camp. Once the season started and injuries came into the picture, it was disappointing.
The Giants and coach Brian Daboll have been pushing the LSU product who had 89 catches for 1,596 yards and 14 touchdowns as a junior. The 20-year-old has worked primarily with the first team and Friday’s big catch off a pass from Jones down the sideline had an interesting story.
Daboll asked Nabers what play he wanted to run and Nabers called for a go pattern. Jones asked him if he wanted to check out of it if Banks pressed him.
“I said, off press, just throw it up,” Nabers said. “He was like, I got you. The chemistry showed.”
Nabers said Daboll has shown a lot of trust in his ability to find open spaces.
“So, to have that, as a head coach that’s got trust in you when you come into the third day of training camp, they try to understand how good of a player I am,” Nabers said. “For him to just ask me what kind of play I want and for him to call it, it shows how much trust he has in me.”
It’s fun watching Nabers on the field. Not only does he make big plays, but he enjoys yapping with Banks after the plays.
While it’s a sign of his confidence, Nabers is the first to admit he has always been someone who expects to face adversity jumping to the next level. He has experienced it at every level and coming to the NFL was no different.
“It’s just something that you go through as you improve,” Nabers said. “But as I keep on every day at practice just gaining confidence going against those guys like D-Banks and (Cor’Dale) Flott, going against the defense with (outside linebacker Brian) Burns and it just creates a confidence in me. So going out there, just being me.”
Nabers has also found a friend in veteran wide receiver Allen Robinson, who is entering his 11th season and first with the Giants. The former Penn State star has played with Jacksonville, Chicago, the Rams and Pittsburgh and willingly discusses his trade with younger players, from pre-snap, to post snap to defensive backs giving away things.
“The sky’s the limit, you know. I mean, whenever you have a guy who has the amount of talent and the skill set that he has, he can take this thing, you know, however far he wants to take,” Robinson said.
The Giants are hoping he takes it a long way.
After missing Thursday’s practice with a midsection injury, Jermaine Eluemunor was back at right tackle Friday.
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