The New York Giants did not draft Daniel Jones’ replacement in the first round of the draft on Thursday.
With the No. 6 pick, they instead selected LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers.
The Giants made the selection amid speculation that they were seeking to move on from Jones, their first-round selection in the 2019 draft. Projected first-round quarterback J.J. McCarthy was still on the board, but the Giants elected to select one of the top offensive talents in the draft in Nabers.
Nabers was electric at LSU and continues a trend of high-profile Tigers receivers joining the NFL in the first round of the draft. He immediately slots in as Jones’ No. 1 receiving option assuming that Jones does, indeed, remain New York’s starting quarterback.
While catching passes from No. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels (Washington Commanders), Nabers tallied 89 catches for 1,569 yards and 14 touchdowns as a senior in 2023. A gamebreaker with 4.35 40-yard dash speed, Nabers has the ability to take the top off opposing secondaries.
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LSU receivers have gone on to star in the NFL after being selected in the first round, most recently All-Pros Ja’Marr Chase (Bengals) and Justin Jefferson (Vikings). The Giants took Odell Beckham Jr. out of LSU in the first round of the 2014 draft, and he’s gone on to make three Pro Bowls and win a Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams.
Nabers joins a wide receiver room in New York featuring Darius Slayton and Wan’Dale Robinson, neither of whom slots as a No. 1 NFL receiving option. Nabers will have a chance to star from Day 1.
