Malik Nabers Sets Giants Receiving Record vs. Eagles, Gives Fans Hope for Future

This has been a season to forget for the 3-13 New York Giants.

But there has at least been one major bright spot.

To say Malik Nabers has lived up to expectations as the No. 6 overall pick of the 2024 NFL draft would actually be an understatement. While the team surely had high hopes for the LSU product, it likely didn't think he'd be setting franchise records right out of the gates.

Yet that is exactly what he did Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles when he hauled in his 108th reception of the season. He broke Steve Smith's franchise record of 107 receptions from the 2009 campaign.

Nabers drew plenty of reaction from social media for the record:

There weren't many storylines in this largely meaningless game outside of Nabers' record pursuit, although there could have been if the teams took different approaches.

After all, Saquon Barkley is only 100 yards behind Eric Dickerson's all-time record of 2,105 rushing yards in a single season. However, the Eagles chose to rest their star running back instead of having him pursue the record since they are locked into the NFC's No. 2 seed.

As for the Giants, they would have finished with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2025 NFL draft had they lost to the Indianapolis Colts and Eagles to finish the season. Instead, they defeated the Colts and had no chance at that top pick coming into Sunday's slate:

Still, New York figures to have a fairly favorable draft pick as it looks to build a contending roster in the NFC East.

And it at least knows it has one franchise cornerstone at wide receiver after Nabers' record-setting rookie season.