Giants Country

Vikings Reportedly Tried to Jump Giants in Draft for Malik Nabers

The Giants would have lost out on receiver Malik Nabers in last month's draft had the Vikings reportedly gotten their way.

Michael Lee

Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers
Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers / Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com / USA
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By all accounts, the New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings seem happy with how the first round of the 2024 draft turned out. The Giants got receiver Malik Nabers, and the Vikings landed quarterback J.J. McCarthy.

But according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, the Vikings, who held the tenth spot in the draft after trading up with the Jets one spot, were looking to trade one spot ahead of the Giants—the spot held by the Los Angeles Chargers, who took offensive tackle Joe Alt—because they had their eye on Nabers.

"At No. 5, the Chargers, when they took Joe Alt, they passed on an opportunity to trade out of that spot. The team that wanted to move up to that spot, I'm told, the Minnesota Vikings--and not to take J.J. McCarthy,” Florio said.

“The Vikings, I'm told, were trying to move up to No. 5 to get Malik Nabers.”

Florio isn’t the only one who reported the Vikings' interest in Nabers. Charley Walters of The Pioneer Press reported the same thing in his May 25th column, noting that had the Vikings been successful in their attempt to move up, current star receiver Justin Jefferson, who has been after a new contract, would have been traded.

The Giants were heavily rumored to be looking to trade up to the No. 3 spot held by New England to land quarterback Drake Maye, the Patriots’ eventual pick.

After Maye was off the board, the Giants, rather than trade down at that point or reach for a quarterback at No. 6, stayed put and selected Nabers, the second receiver off the board after Marvin Harrison, Jr. went to the Arizona Cardinals at No. 4.

So far, the Giants are pleased with what they have seen from Nabers, whom they’re counting on to breathe life into a stagnant passing game.

“He works really hard,” said head coach Brian Daboll of Nabers. “There's a couple of different positions that he has to move around and learn, but that's why we drafted him. Good young pro. Spends a lot of extra time with (Mike) Groh when he can.” 

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Michael Lee

MICHAEL LEE

Michael Lee is an aspiring sports writer currently studying journalism and communications.

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