Daniel Jone’ job was saved when the New York Giants decided not to select a quarterback in the first round of the NFL Draft. For the time being. Rather, the wide receiver Malik Nabers was chosen by the Giants with the sixth overall choice, and Jones is already rather impressed with the LSU star.”I mean, he can do everything,” Jones remarked. Considering how well-regarded Nabers was coming out of college, Jones’ remarks are not shocking. In April, Nabers was the second wide receiver off the board; Marvin Harrison Jr. was selected by the Arizona Cardinals two spots ahead of him. Some believe Nabers might be the top receiver in his draft class, though.
The 20-year-old recently had an incredible 2023 season, catching 89 passes for 1,569 yards and 14 touchdowns. He arrived at LSU in 2021 and played in his first season, hauling in 28 passes for 417 yards and four touchdowns. Then Nabers took off in 2022, hitting the end zone three times and hauling in 72 passes for 1,017 yards. Going into the offseason, the Giants were in severe need of a receiver, and they are hopeful that Nabers can fill the void.For Jones, the 2024 NFL season will be a crucial time. Before rupturing his ACL in just six games last season, Jones was an incredible player who threw two touchdowns and six picks in his brief time on the field.
This was worse for New York since the Giants had signed Jones to a four-year, $160 million contract in March of last year. The hitch is that Jones’ contract is only guaranteed for the first two years, so if things don’t work out after the upcoming season, Big Blue may decide to cut ties with him.Thus, it is clear that the Duke product will be under a lot of pressure by 2024. To Jones’ credit, since entering the NFL in 2019, he has never been paired with a legitimate No. 1 receiver. Darius Slayton, who has never had 800 receiving yards in a single season, has been his best wide receiver during that time. In actuality, the last time the Giants possessed a legitimate No. 1 pass-catcher was Odell Beckham Jr., which was all the way back in 2018.
In addition, Jones has spent his whole time in New York playing behind a really terrible offensive line, so we should definitely give the 27-year-old some leeway. Having said that, Jones must decide whether to put up or shut up.The good news is that Nabers appears to be the elite wide receiver Jones has been waiting for, so perhaps we are going to witness his true potential soon? Remember that Jones has demonstrated in the past that he is a competent quarterback, having guided the Giants to a 9-7-1 record and a playoff victory over the Minnesota Vikings in the Wild Card Round two years ago. We’ll watch this upcoming season to see if Jones can keep his position.