An amicable rivalry might not last long, especially after Malik Nabers forewarned Jayden Daniels, his former LSU colleague. With confidence, the first choice of the New York Giants in the 2024 NFL draft declared that he will defeat quarterback Daniels and the Washington Commanders twice a season.
Nabers may have spoken boldly, but the Giants are looking for a swagger from their new wide out. When questioned about playing Daniels, the 20-year-old said to SINow’s Claudette Montana (via MLFootball’s Brandon), “I’ll beat him two times a year every time we play them.”
Ironically, the Giants have had no trouble defeating the Commanders in recent seasons. The G-Men have swept the previous season’s series and are undefeated in their past four meetings with their NFC East foes.
The 6-11 Giants did not benefit much from those two victories. A performance that led to the choice to take Nabers sixth overall in order to change a mediocre passing game.
Daniels, the No. 2 pick, is expected to have the similar impact for the Commanders. Daniels has drawn notice early in OTAs, much like his collegiate favorite target.
Malik Nabers is starting to leave a positive impression.
Nabers hasn’t wasted any time in showing the Giants what he can do with the offense. Interestingly, Charlotte Carroll of The Athletic noted that he’s already getting along well with Daniel Jones during OTAs with this crossing route.
For any player, Nabers need not perform better than Jones. If the struggling signal-caller is still unable to find his range with Nabers on the field, it will be too late. He has long needed a real No. 1 receiver.
Fortunately, Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News reports that Nabers “was open on almost every 11-on-11 route he ran” on Thursday, May 23, so avoiding attention should be simple for him.
The hallmark of Nabers’ LSU career was his propensity for the big play. That’s what turned him into Daniels’ first choice.
The latter has the talent to tip the scales in the Giants against Commanders battle.
The Giants Must Prepare for Jayden Daniels
Daniels won the Heisman Trophy the previous season by showcasing his potent dual-threat abilities. Even at the collegiate level, throwing 40 touchdowns (14 to Nabers) and rushing for 1,134 yards should make the other teams in the NFC East take notice of how difficult it will be to stop Daniels.
If the early impression of Daniels’ transition to the pros is any indication, the Giants will need to be prepared for this battle. He has been drawing attention with some incredible throws during
