Notebook: Malik Nabers feeling good, ‘no doubt’ for Week 1

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Malik Nabers, who missed practice the last two days with an ankle injury, said he has “no doubt” he will be ready for the Giants’ Sept. 8 regular-season opener against the Minnesota Vikings.

Nabers became one of the team’s most important offensive players the instant he was selected in the first round of the NFL Draft. He left practice Sunday after turning his ankle and ventured out to the field to stretch and watch part of today’s workout. He spoke to reporters afterward.

“I’m feeling good,” Nabers said. “I don’t think it’s really nothing too serious, though. Just typical things that happen with the ankle when you play football, you play basketball. Nothing too serious.

“It feels good, getting back healthy. Just continuing with the rehab.”

Coach Brian Daboll also said Nabers’ injury is minor.

“He’s good,” Daboll said. “Well keep him down today. He’ll go out there and do stretch, but he’s good. He’ll be good. It’s not long term or anything like that.”

Asked if the injury is a sprain, Daboll said, “I mean, he’s got an ankle. It’s nothing serious.”

It is unknown if Nabers will play in the Giants’ preseason game Saturday in Houston.

“Pretty cautious just to see how I feel, make sure I’m 100 percent,” he said. “Make sure I’m able to practice at a high speed and play at full speed.”

He said the ankle will not require extra support when he returns to the field.

Nabers was not hit on the play in which he was injured. He did not immediately leave the field.

“At first when I did it, it was no big deal,” he said. “I went out, did another play, and then it was like, ‘Nah, something just doesn’t feel right.’ So, I wanted to get it checked.”

Moments later, Nabers said, “most definitely, yeah,” when asked if he initially thought it was worse than it is. “But when I got the X-ray and MRI on it, nothing really showed up,” he said.

Nabers later watched the tape to see exactly what occurred when he was injured.

“I really didn’t know during practice until I watched the film,” he said. “I watched the play that it happened, and I really didn’t know what I did with my foot. And then when I watched it, I was like, ‘Alright, cool, that’s the reason why I’m feeling it.’ But when I watched it again, how I watched it, to say that happened, and I don’t feel really a lot going on right now, so it wasn’t that bad of an injury. I’m just making sure I’m fine.”

Nabers did not have a pass thrown to him on any of the 12 snaps he played in the Giants’ preseason opener vs. Detroit. But he was pleased with his first NFL game experience.

“I played really good, played fast,” he said. “Knew my route discipline, knew my alignment. But still things to work on. Had a few nick-ups. But that’s what the preseason is for, just to get everything right before week one. So, I think I played pretty fast, got open pretty good. So, gave my coaches a lot of confidence.”

If he doesn’t play against the Texans, Nabers hopes to see action in the preseason finale against the Jets.

“It’s a game rep,” he said. “Every game opportunity rep that I have, of course I’m going to take advantage of it. But if that’s what my coaches decide on it, that’s what I decide on, then that’s what’s going to happen.”