Big Blue View
After Malik Nabers, do the Giants have enough weapons at receiver?
The New York Giants were 31st in the NFL in points scored during the 2024 season. One of the biggest reasons was an inability to create explosive plays.
The Giants finished 2024 with just 29 plays of 25 or more yards, with only five teams compiling fewer.
The biggest issue wasn’t weapons — it was the Giants’ quarterbacks inability to connect with those weapons on big plays.
Daniel Jones was 8 of 31 (25.8%) on throws of 20 yards or more before being benched and departing for the Minnesota Vikings. Strong-armed Drew Lock was worst in the league among 42 qualifying quarterbacks. Per Pro Football Focus, Lock was 4 of 23 (17.4%). Tommy DeVito was 0 of 2.
That made the Giants’ quarterbacks 12 of 56 (21.4%) on throws of 20 or more yards.
The Giants took care of that issue this offseason. Russell Wilson led those 42 qualifying quarterbacks by completing 54% (27 of 50) deep throws. Jameis Winston was 13 of 35 (37.1%).
Matt Waldman of The Rookie Scouting Portfolio, questioned the vertical accuracy of first-round pick Jaxson Dart in Waldman’s annual draft guide. NFL analyst Doug Farrar provided numbers during a recent appearance on the ‘Valentine’s Views’ podcast that contradicted that stance. See the 28-minute mark.
“In 2024 Jaxson Dart led the nation with 17 touchdowns on throws of 20 or more air yards. Overall on deep passes he completed 37 of 88, the most in the nation as well, for 1,517 yards, also the most in the nation, with 17 touchdowns, four interceptions and a passer rating of 109.8,” Farrar said.
“The deep ball’s not a problem.”
All of that preamble leads to the real subject — do the Giants have enough playmakers at wide receiver to take advantage of all of that deep ball ability from the team’s quarterbacks?
The Giants, of course, have Malik Nabers. After the Giants bypassed selecting a quarterback to take Nabers No. 6 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, Nabers justified that decision by having a phenomenal rookie season.
Nabers broke Steve Smith’s franchise record for receptions in a season with 109. That also surpassed Puka Nacua’s previous NFL rookie record of 105 catches, but rookie tight end Brock Bowers of the Las Vegas Raiders bested Nabers by three receptions, grabbing 112.
Nabers also finished with 1,204 receiving yards, seventh in the NFL and ninth-best in franchise history, and was seventh in the NFL with 80.3 receiving yards per game. All of that despite the Giants’ 3-14 record and struggles at quarterback.
Unless the toe injury that kept him sidelined all spring becomes a real issue, Nabers’ ascent to superstardom should continue this season. Even modest improvements in quarterback and offensive line play could help assure that.
The question is, do the Giants have enough receiving weapons beyond Nabers to capitalize on the big-play abilities of their quarterbacks?
If tight end Theo Johnson develops as the Giants hope he...
