Hard Knocks: Did the Giants get their dog in Malik Nabers?

The second episode of the offseason edition of Hard Knocks took us behind the scenes of the New York Giants draft process.

As the narrator said at the start, the Giants can’t afford to get the sixth overall pick wrong. And with so much riding on the pick, general manager Joe Schoen said that he needs all the information about the player he can get.

The foundation of the Giants’ scouting process — at least from what was shown on air — wasn’t athleticism, mechanics, or scheme fit, but rather personality.

The Giants’ scouting department got ready for the Combine by breaking down the top prospects’ character and mental profile. They talked about quarterbacks Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, J.J. McCarthy, and Caleb Williams, as well as receivers Marvin Harrison Jr., Rome Odunze, and Malik Nabers.

About the Giants’ ultimate selection, they said, “Highly compassionate, highly competitive, plays with a big-time chip on his shoulder … And you’ll hear about it if he isn’t getting his targets.” They also noted that they were going to need to get around Nabers to make sure his was a personality with whom they could work.

We got glimpses of the Giants’ meeting with each of the players they spoke about, with Brian Daboll grilling the quarterbacks on their favorite play, how they recall plays, and how they would respond to adversity. He also lead the questioning of the receivers and how they respond to in-game situations.

Nabers’ response when the Giants got him in the room? “I hate losing more than I love winning”, and he said that he takes not being involved early “hard”. Nabers stated he puts in the work during the week and wants the ball.

Though in a conversation with assistant GM Brandon Brown after meeting with Nabers, Schoen noted that Nabers’ personality didn’t quite match with his on-field demeanor. He said that the receiver seemed almost “reserved”, compared to his personality on the field.

In the Giants’ conversation with Nabers, they noted that they want “dogs”, players who hate to lose, and who want the ball.

“I want guys who want the ball, and I want guys who hate losing,” Daboll said. “But you need to harness that a bit.”