Former New York Giants receiver Victor Cruz is impressed by first-round draft pick Malik Nabers. Nabers enters the season with high expectations as the sixth overall draft pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The Unanimous All-American selection is off to a hot start, catching 15 passes for 193 receiving yards and one touchdown through two games. The 21-year-old is coming off of a sensational performance against the Washington Commanders in which he recorded 10 receptions (on 18 targets) for 127 receiving yards and a touchdown — the youngest player in NFL history to do so.
Cruz knows a thing or two about shining as the Giants’ lead receiver, posting an All-Pro selection during the 2011 season while helping the Giants win Super Bowl XLVI and garnering a Pro Bowl bid during the following season. Following his initial debut against the Minnesota Vikings — Nabers posted five receptions for 66 receiving yards in that game — Cruz had positive things to say about the LSU Tigers alum.
“I think him as an individual player, he’s a stud,” Cruz tells ClutchPoints of Nabers in an interview on behalf of his partnership with Captain Morgan. “I’ve watched him in training camp, I’ve seen him perform, I watched his tape at LSU, the guy can run every route in the book. As the season progresses, they just have to figure out ways to get him the ball. He’s a playmaker.”
Daniel Jones — who has faced a lot of scrutiny over the past two seasons due to his underwhelming play — bounced back in Week 2 to have a solid performance, posting two touchdowns, zero turnovers, and a 100.0 passer rating — his highest since leading a major comeback win over the Arizona Cardinals in Week 2 of last season.
As a result of Jones’ improved play, Nabers posted a huge effort. Cruz suggests ways of maximizing Nabers’ abilities by having Jones take shorter drop-backs and getting the ball out quicker.
“I think the more Daniel Jones takes shorter steps and gets the ball out quicker, he feels more confidence that way, then it just opens up everything else,” says Cruz. “Malik Nabers is a heck of a ball player, but he has to go out there and take what’s in front of him. And Daniel Jones has to figure out — and obviously, Coach Daboll as well, calling plays — has to figure out the best way to put him in the best position with the ball in his hands.”
It’s clear that Nabers is the Giants’ best receiver on the roster, garnering 18 of Jones’ 28 intended targets. No other Giants player had more than four targets or 33 receiving yards in the game.
While Nabers showed his talent in just his second career game, he had a key drop in the 21-18 loss to the Commanders. The 6-foot, 200-pound receiver dropped a pass on a 4th-and-4 conversion from the Commanders’ 22-yard line with the game tied at 18-all. The drop led to a turnover on downs before the Commanders marched down the field for the game-winning field goal.
“I’m disappointed,” Nabers said after the Giants’ 21-18 loss. “I mean, no matter how good of a game you can play, that last play came down to me. I’m hurt I let those veterans down. I mean, they know what kind of player I am. … It’s just, I don’t want to ever let my team down. That’s the main motto that’s in my head: Don’t let my team down. I let my team down.”
While the drop may be a tough pill for Nabers to swallow, it doesn’t detract from the fact that he’s one of the top young receivers in the NFL. Nabers and the Giants will look to bounce back seeking their first win of the season when they visit the Cleveland Browns in Week 3.
