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Jan 5, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (1) runs with the ball against the Philadelphia Eagles during the first quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

NY Giants WR Malik Nabers is Just Getting Started with What He Can Do on an NFL Field

Originally posted on New York Giants on SI
By Stephen Lebitsch | Last updated Jun 24, 2025 3:00 PM ET

If there is any player on the New York Giants roster that the franchise shouldn’t feel an ounce of worry about ahead of the 2025 season, that player would have to be a second-year wide receiver and their No. 1 passing target, Malik Nabers.

The Giants drafted Nabers as the sixth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, and given the team chose him after failing to pursue a quarterback prospect within their range, he came in with hefty expectations of providing the Giants offense with a bonafide playmaker on the outside and did so without any hesitation.

In an offense that was looking for a new face after Saquon Barkley left in free agency, Nabers became that player as he racked up catches all over the field, looked nearly unstoppable, and was setting numerous Giants and league rookie records.

What’s more is that he was electric despite the rest of the offense not quite matching his talented level of play.

The Giants went through four different quarterbacks after Daniel Jones was released in Week 11, and the offensive line started to wilt under the pressure of injuries, starting with left tackle Andrew Thomas, whose presence always seemed to bring an equilibrium to the Giants’ front.

Through it all, Nabers has remained one of the most dominant pass catchers across the NFL, gaining great respect from teammates and opponents as they prepare to face the Giants this season.

As crazy as it sounds, Nabers should have a chance to even outpace his debut numbers with a revamped huddle around him, particularly the helm, with options that can better meet him in the deep field.

If he can stay healthy and handle a few of his rookie errors, it’s surely going to be one of those storylines that get watched closely during the Giants' upcoming schedule, as everyone wants to know whether they have the next franchise star for years to come.

Malik Nabers, WR

Height: 6-0
Weight: 200 lbs
Exp: 2 Years
School: LSU
How Acquired: D1-’24

2024 In Review

From catching quick darts on comeback routes to hauling in longer contested passes and spreading out the offense to create opportunities for his teammates, Malik Nabers did it all in his welcome to the NFL campaign in 2024.

In 15 games, all of which were starts, Nabers tallied a team-high 109 receptions on 170 targets (2nd in the NFL) for 1,204 yards, seven touchdowns, and an average of 11.0 yards per catch, which led the entire receiving production for the Giants at the end of the season.

On a week-to-week basis, Nabers was often the lead pass catcher for the Giants, notching an average of 80.3 yards per contest. A nice chunk of his effort came after the catch as well, netting 462 yards after the catch, which ranked 11th overall throughout the league and second among rookies.

Along with those feats, the 21-year-old receiver had 10 games where he was targeted at least 10 times and three games with double-digit catches.

His best game as a passing target came in Week 2 against the Commanders when the Giants looked for him 18 times to try to carry them over the hump in a close and disappointing 21-18 loss to their division rival.

In terms of receiving yardage, Nabers found his breakout game in the home finale against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 17.

The Giants found a way to cruise to a 45-33 shootout to avoid going winless at MetLife Stadium, and Nabers was a key player in that win with 171 yards and two touchdowns to his day.

While his efforts were impactful at every range of the field, Nabers flashed his specialty in the intermediate and deep levels, hauling in 17.6% of his targets on throws of 20+ yards for 216 yards and two touchdowns, which tied for fourth in the NFL with a 96.8 deep receiving grade.

He made three of his contested catches on these shots and had an average distance of target of 27.4 yards.

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Contract/Cap Info

Malik Nabers is going into the second year of his four-year rookie contract, a deal worth $29,207,750 with an average annual value of $7,301,938. That makes him the 36th highest-paid wide receiver out of 399, and he has the 14th-highest cap number on the Giants books at $6,638,125.

In 2025, Nabers will receive a base salary of $960,000 and a $1,162,625 roster bonus, which is owed to him on the third day of training camp.

2025 Preview

Nabers’ absence from fully participating in the New York Giants’ OTA’s and mandatory minicamp practices over the past couple of weeks has understandably sounded some alarms as he rehabs from a toe injury that he battled through during the 2024 season.

However, head coach Brian Daboll has repeatedly assured the media that Nabers’ situation isn’t something to worry about, and barring any new setbacks, he should be in good shape to return when the team resumes training camp in East Rutherford at the end of July.

The withholding of his presence from the team’s non-contract drills this spring could simply be seen as a precautionary measure to avoid anything serious befalling the player who will continue to be their biggest receiving threat in the voluntary learning portion of the offseason.

So long as Nabers is fully healthy for the start of the season, it’s setting up for another barnstormer of a year for the ascending superstar.

He now has a proven upgrade at quarterback with Russell Wilson, who will do better at feeding him the ball vertically, and he has already been a tough player to slow down with the ball in his hands.

The Giants drafted him to be their top option for the long-term future, and expectations should remain for him to be targeted at the same pace, if not more, this season.

If he does get a similar number of looks and doesn’t fall victim to the drops (8) he had last season, he should make a case for punching in similar metrics in 2025 as he builds his early legacy as the organization’s next great offensive player.