NY Giants WR Malik Nabers Picked as “Player to Root For” for This Reason

Not that Giants fans need convincing to root for Malik Nabers, but there’s something specific that hopefully Nabers will be able to show in his game this season.

New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

If there’s one member of the New York Giants who doesn’t have to worry about having the fan base coaxed to root for him, that would be receiver Malik Nabers, who is NFL.com writer Tom Blair’s choice from among the Big Blue roster to root for among the NFC teams this coming season.  .

Interestingly, though, Blair’s reasoning isn’t quite what you’d expect it to be. Rather than take the approach of rooting for an underdog or a player on the bubble to find success this coming season, Blair’s selection of Nabers has more to do with what he and perhaps legions of Giants fans do not want to see happen to the receiver in 2025.

“What I definitely do not want is for Nabers to become yet another talented receiver whose ultimate ceiling is shrouded by a forgettable quarterback and surrounding cast,” Blair wrote. 

“It's great that he made the Pro Bowl and garnered some Offensive Rookie of the Year votes while catching passes from Daniel Jones, Drew Lock, Tommy DeVito, and Tim Boyle last year. Next, let's get him into some meaningful late-season or playoff games.”

Giants fans would undoubtedly love to see Nabers’ talents put on display in the postseason, just as they’d probably love to see the former LSU star, who is seeking his second straight 1,000-yard receiving performance this year, deliver more explosive plays.

Nabers, a deep-ball receiving specialist with outstanding body control and tenacity in fighting for contested catches, was, according to NFL Pro, targeted 24 times on deep passes of 20+ yards, the ninth most among qualified receivers. 

But he caught just five of those deep passes (169 yards, two touchdowns), which put him 44th in the reception category.  

In renovating their quarterback room this offseason, the Giants brought in Russell Wilson, who had better success with the deep ball than all the quarterbacks on their 2024  roster combined.

Wilson, in 11 games played for the Steelers, completed 20 of 44 pass attempts on the deep ball; his completion percentage on such pass attempts (45.5%) was second only to Sam Darnold of the Vikings. 

And Wilson’s CPOE (Completion Percentage Over Expected) was a healthy +15.1%, tops in the league.

With a legitimate deep ball thrower on the field, Nabers should theoretically have an easier time reaching 1,000 yards and increasing his deep ball contributions.