How NY Giants Can Unlock Next Level of WR Malik Nabers' Game

Go long!

For as strong as Nabers’ numbers were last season, the Giants didn’t showcase an offensive game plan that allowed him to run all over the place and create with his nifty athleticism.

Despite seeing 556 receiving snaps in that span, Nabers only averaged 2.17 yards per route run and a 9.7 average distance of target, both metrics sitting way outside of the top 25 receivers in the league. 

More often than not, Nabers was limited to the demands of short-yardage plays and having to make something out of nothing with defenders swarming down or already right on his back shoulder as he caught the ball. 

He posted 44.2% of his targets and 58 receptions from within nine yards of the line of scrimmage last season, turning them into 489 yards (237 after the catch) and two touchdowns. Yet, his efforts in short-yardage plays didn’t even yield his highest receiving grade for the campaign (94.0) nor his largest passer rating when targeted.

Further, when Nabers was targeted deep, he delivered. According to TruMedia, Nabers hauled in 50% of his receptions on passes thrown between 20 to 29 yards beyond the sticks, recording two of his touchdowns on such plays. 

A lackluster offensive line and the continued regression of quarterback Daniel Jones in 2024 often handicapped the Giants' entire offense. Jones fell victim to being forced to get the ball out too early or holding onto it too long while trying to dodge oncoming pressure, often leading to turnovers or falling behind the sticks. 

New York ranked 26th in pass block win rate by the end of the year, which was largely a result of injuries killing the front, and with Jones’s lack of processing and patience at times, finished in the bottom five of the league with just 34 passing plays of 20+ yards.

That meant players like Nabers often compromised for quick routes in the short flats or scrambled to come back towards the ball to earn marginal gains, and only targeting him deep, less than 20% of the time, just wasn’t what the Giants had in mind when they drafted one of college’s most versatile receiving threats. 

They need to be a more explosive unit with Nabers remaining as the main option in that operation. He’s a player who has proven he can make big plays happen in the intermediate range when he’s allowed to fly, rallying 620 yards and four touchdowns on 34 receptions of 10+ yards downfield and an average route as high as 9.72 yards last season. 

If he lands more of those opportunities and consistency passing from the quarterback position, Nabers is an athlete who excels at making people miss using his speed and ability to stop on a dime to create separation. That is why he finished top 10 in yards after contact and top five in missed tackles forced (19), skills that make defenders pay more attention to him in coverage. 

The good news is that with quarterback Russell Wilson taking over, the Giants' offense is better set up to achieve those aspects. Wilson is a gunslinger who wants to let it rip and drop moon balls into the deep field, and says he came over because of the potential he sees in doing that with Nabers. 

The key will remain how much of a clean pocket Wilson gets to throw the ball where he wants it, but if all those factors come together, it’ll be a more fruitful second campaign for Nabers and the Giants offense that will further get their money’s worth from their most important player.

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