Giants receive stellar NFL draft grades for pick of WR Malik Nabers | Sporting News

The New York Giants added an elite talent to the offense in the form of wide receiver Malik Nabers with the No. 6 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Desperately needing to bring in an alpha WR1 to the room, Nabers will immediately fill that role while providing Daniel Jones (or Drew Lock) with an instant top target.

Though the Giants could have gone the route of taking a quarterback—J.J. McCarthy was still available—they opted to go with a prospect who holds an extremely high ceiling.

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It was a smart choice, and the NFL draft grades back up that point.

Giants receive stellar grades for Malik Nabers pick

Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News | Grade: A

The Giants go back to the first-round wide receiver well 10 years after taking Odell Beckham Jr. out of LSU with another special big-time explosive playmaker. Nabers has the speed and quickness of a true No. 1 they have been missing for Daniel Jones. Nabers is versatile to deliver outside or in the slot, stretching the field or running well after the catch and be the new Stefon Diggs for offensive-minded coach Brian Daboll.

Nate Davis, USA TODAY | Grade: A

Breathe easy, Daniel Jones – at least for now. Not only did Big Blue turn down the option of selecting your potential replacement, team brass equipped their incumbent starter with a legitimate go-to threat. Nabers is electric both as a downfield target and a run-after-catch weapon, and he can take much of the pressure off Jones as the quarterback works his way back from an injury-shortened campaign. If the Giants’ drought of 1,000-yard receivers is going to end soon – which dates back to 2018 with another LSU product in Odell Beckham Jr. – Nabers will be the guy to break through.

Bleacher Report | Grade: A

Nabers is a true No. 1 target. He’s insta-juice to the lineup. His presence will completely change the dynamic of a Giants pass-catching corps that previously lacked explosiveness.

Chad Reuter, NFL.com | Grade: B+

Nabers’ quickness off the line, tight routes, strong hands and electric moves after the catch remind me of another former LSU wideout the Giants selected in the first round (10 years ago, in fact). If Nabers proves agile enough to win against NFL cornerbacks at the top of the route, he could become one of the league’s best receivers in time. The question down the line, though, might be whether the Giants would’ve been better off selecting J.J. McCarthy at No. 6 and then a very good receiver on Day 2 instead.

The Athletic | Grade: A

The Giants have questions about Daniel Jones, to be sure. But they still have so much work to do that bringing a first-round QB in to compete for the job wouldn’t have made much sense. Nabers is an awesome talent and will instantly make one of the slowest offenses faster. This is a sensible, efficient and potentially explosive draft pick.

Pete Prisco, CBS Sports | Grade: A+

I love this pick for the Giants. It says they didn’t believe in the quarterbacks who were left and now they get a playmaker on the outside. This kid will be a star. 

For more Giants coverage, check out Kevin Hickey’s work on Sporting News.