NFL Assistant Coach: Giants' Malik Nabers 'Could Be Like' Odell Beckham Jr. Early On

The hype for New York Giants rookie Malik Nabers is building now that he is doing on-field work with the team coming out of organized team activities and minicamp.

One offensive assistant coach from another team told The Athletic's Dan Duggan that Nabers "could be like" Odell Beckham Jr. very early on.

"Nabers is the most explosive, but a little bit more raw. (Marvin) Harrison and (Rome) Odunze are polished, but they're not like Odell and can catch a slant and run for 80 (yards)," the coach said. "Nabers could be like Odell early. Throw him a hitch or a slant and he's gone. He's got that type of talent."

The Giants will be hoping Nabers can make that kind of impact for their receiving corps. Based on the early returns from minicamp, there might be something to the Beckham comparison.

Beckham's rookie season in 2014 got off to a delayed start when he missed the first four games due to a hamstring injury. He still turned in one of the best debut years by a receiver in NFL history with 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns in 12 games.

If Nabers can do anything close to that in his first season, the Giants will be ecstatic. They haven't had a receiver reach the 800-yard mark in a season since 2018 when Beckham (1,052) and Sterling Shepard (872) both did it.

The Giants invested the sixth overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft on Nabers. He became the highest-drafted wide receiver in franchise history and just the second to be drafted in the top 10 after Ike Hilliard went No. 7 overall in 1997.

Nabers should be the primary target for Daniel Jones, assuming he is the starting quarterback, when the regular season begins. Darius Slayton, Wan'Dale Robinson, Allen Robinson II and Jalin Hyatt are among the other top receivers on the roster.