EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — One of the main questions the New York Giants had for Malik Nabers during the pre-draft process was how the wide receiver would deal with not getting the ball. That was purely a hypothetical during the first five practices of training camp, as the No. 6 pick routinely made highlight-worthy plays as the focal point of the passing attack.
But in Tuesday’s sixth camp practice, Nabers’ workload was reduced significantly. Although the stakes of a late July practice are much lower than the game situations the Giants investigated before the draft, Nabers’ competitiveness still surfaced late in the session.
“You know they’ve got the plan for what they want me to do and how they want me to do it, so I’m going to continue to follow what they’ve got for me,” Nabers said. “But it got to a point in practice where I was like, ‘Nah, I’m taking some more reps.’”
Here’s a minute-by-minute account of everything I observed during Tuesday’s practice from the most dynamic Giants wide receiver since Odell Beckham Jr. took the league by storm a decade ago:
7:00 a.m.: Long before fans and reporters descend upon the Giants’ facility, Nabers arrives for some pre-practice treatment. He has breakfast and then gets stretched out by a trainer and does ankle mobility drills. Meetings start at 9 a.m.
“Before practice, really just maintaining health,” Nabers said. “Just try to keep my body at full health.”
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10:00 a.m.: Every practice starts with a situational walk-through pitting the starting offense against the starting defense. It was inauspicious for Nabers’ impending workload when he was on the sideline during this drive while Darius Slayton, Jalin Hyatt and Wan’Dale Robinson were the receivers on the field.
10:04 a.m.: Coach Brian Daboll chats with Nabers as the receiver goes through pre-practice warmups. Nabers is all business during stretch lines, which have been used for dance rehearsal by other receivers in the past.
10:11 a.m.: Practice begins with individual drills, with each position group occupying a different section of the Giants’ three practice fields. Nabers lines up fourth behind Slayton, Hyatt and Robinson as the receivers move through an agility ladder and catch passes from wide receivers coach Mike Groh after running a hitch route.
Nabers has the rare ability to make everything look easy, like the casual one-handed snag he makes while practicing back-shoulder catches.
— DugganGIFs (@DanDugganGIFs) July 31, 2024
10:16 a.m.: The receivers break into two groups and join the quarterbacks and tight ends for routes on air. Nabers, Slayton, Hyatt, Robinson along with tight ends Daniel Bellinger and Theo Johnson catch passes from quarterback Daniel Jones on one end of the field.
Nabers drops a routine out route directly in front of general manager Joe Schoen along the sideline. Nabers’ playmaking ability has overshadowed a few drops early in camp.
10:22 a.m.: Various position groups from both sides of the ball join together for one-on-one drills. The wide receivers and cornerbacks work on releases. The drill lacks excitement with no passes being thrown, but Nabers works hard in three reps against cornerbacks Deonte Banks and Nick McCloud.
Malik Nabers vs. Deonte Banks #giants pic.twitter.com/fj5S2Vb16w
— Charlotte Carroll (@charlottecrrll) July 30, 2024
10:27 a.m.: A special teams period offers a chance for Nabers and the other top receivers to take a break. Nabers, Slayton, Hyatt, Robinson and veteran Allen Robinson chat with Groh and offensive assistant Cade Knox in the end zone as the special teams drills take place on the field.
At one point, the receivers seem to be talking about their knee pads. It’s the second practice of camp in full pads, and it’s noticeable that Nabers is only wearing thigh pads in his practice pants that are cut well above his knee. Nabers cuts his knee pads into tiny slivers that he slides under the bottom of his altered pants.
“When I got those (knee) pads on, I really can’t run my full speed,” Nabers said. “My thighs are kind of huge, so they’re squeezing my leg, so I started cutting them up. I tried putting the knee pad under (the pants) so I’m free.”
10:32 a.m.: With the special teams period still in progress, the wide receivers work with running backs coach Joel Thomas on a ball security drill. They hold a football attached to a strap that Thomas yanks as they take lateral steps over two pads.
10:35 a.m.: While most of the team goes to one end of the field for a physical 9-on-7 run period, the receivers and cornerbacks are on the other end for one-on-one passing drills. Nabers curiously doesn’t take any reps during the period. It’s a surprise to him.
“They were just like hang back this one. You’re not going,” Nabers said. “I was like, ‘All right.’”
10:45 a.m.: The starting offense and the reserves split into opposite ends of one field for a walk-through install period, while the defense goes to another field. Nabers, Slayton, Hyatt and Robinson are the receivers with the starters. They’re joined by running backs Devin Singletary, Tyrone Tracy and Eric Gray, and tight ends Bellinger, Johnson and Chris Manhertz.
These install refreshers always precede the first 11-on-11 period of practice, so they’re a sign that the action is about to pick up.
10:55 a.m.: As the first 11-on-11 period starts, Nabers is on the sideline for the first three plays. I start having flashbacks to the practice diary I attempted on Kadarius Toney during his rookie season when the mercurial 2021 first-round pick didn’t participate. Thankfully, Nabers takes the field on the fourth rep of the period.
It doesn’t go well, as Nabers’ slant route is disrupted by linebacker Dyontae Johnson. Nabers lets up after the near collision, but Jones still fires a pass that’s nearly intercepted by McCloud. The sloppy play is symbolic of the offense’s worst day of camp.
— DugganGIFs (@DanDugganGIFs) July 31, 2024
It’s Nabers’ only target during the first period for the starting offense. He’s only on the field for three of the seven reps.
11:07 a.m.: Another special teams period means more time chatting with Groh and the other top receivers.
“(Groh) was really explaining that we need to be more energized when we come out here,” Nabers said. “We’ve got to make plays. When the ball is in the air, those 50-50 balls, we’ve got to come down with them. Just trying to motivate the group a little more to continue to go onto the next period and be motivated to want to make plays. You’ve got to have that kind of coach.”
11:16 a.m.: The second 11-on-11 period of practice is another light one for Nabers. He takes three reps and sees no targets during the eight-play period.
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11:29 a.m.: Nabers hangs with the other young receivers, Hyatt and Robinson, during the final special teams period of practice.
“Those guys continue to teach me the offense,” Nabers said. “Sometimes when I’m out there and I might be like, ‘What is this play?’ They help me learn where I need to line up and key details that the defense is doing.”
11:34 a.m.: The final 11-on-11 period of practice is typically the most entertaining. Earlier periods are scripted so the team can work on specific situations, but practices typically end with a “call-it” period with the offense moving the ball until it scores or gets stopped.
Nabers is on the field to start the period, with a target on the second rep. It’s an ugly incompletion, with a curl route getting smothered by Banks and broken up.
— DugganGIFs (@DanDugganGIFs) July 31, 2024
Banks and Nabers have been battling daily in camp. Burns stands over Nabers and makes an incomplete signal, leading to a shove from the receiver.
“It gets chippy, but you’ve still got to know this is my teammate and this is my brother,” Nabers said. “That’s my dog. Me and him are like twins. That’s like my long-lost brother. Me and him can vibe all day together. His competition is my competition, his trash talk is my trash talk.”
Groh sent Hyatt onto the field to replace Nabers after the play, but with the competitive juices flowing, the rookie waved off the sub.
“I was like, ‘No, it’s getting a little hectic out here. I’m staying out here,’” Nabers said.
After an incomplete pass to the other side of the field, Nabers is taken out for two plays. While standing behind the offense, Nabers signals to Groh to ask back into action and his wish is granted for the final three plays of practice.
On the second to last play, Nabers gets his final target of practice. He runs a deep curl route against Cor’Dale Flott and the cornerback closes hard to break up the pass. It’s a frustrating end to the practice, but Nabers keeps it in perspective.
“It was great plays by the defense,” Nabers said. “Great plays by Banks and Flott. We’ve been working at each other every day. Those guys key in on certain stuff I do. It makes me come out to practice working on myself, trying not to give up routes that they can detect.”
— DugganGIFs (@DanDugganGIFs) July 31, 2024
11:50 a.m.: After a full team huddle, the wide receivers gather around Groh for a final address as practice ends. Nabers then catches up with Banks as they leave the field for an immediate review of their matchup.
“On the PBU he had, I just wanted to talk to him about how he knew the route was coming,” Nabers said. “After practice, you can give honesty about how you knew.”
Banks was in press coverage on the play and Nabers learned his release off the line was actually too good for the route he was running.
“On the release, I kind of beat him too bad,” Nabers said. “When you beat somebody too bad and you’ve got a shorter route, he was already back there. So it’s easy to stop and stop the route. He was telling me, ‘You beat me a little too bad off the line of scrimmage so I was able to stay behind your hips.’ That’s just a lesson for me.”
Nabers and Banks remain on the field long after practice chatting. At one point, Banks demonstrates his long jump form.
“He was talking about what Olympic sport he could medal in,” Nabers said. “He was saying the long jump. I was like, ‘Nah.’”
12:24 p.m.: Nabers leaves the practice field, but his day is hardly over. First, there’s a nine-minute interview describing his day for this story.
After the interview, Nabers will begin the physical and mental preparation for the next practice. He’ll eat lunch, use the hot and cold tubs and sit in the sauna. There will be meetings to review practice and a walk-through to install more of the offense.
Nabers will leave the facility around 6:30 p.m. and then go to the team’s training camp hotel to continue reviewing the playbook. His offensive education includes random FaceTime calls from Daboll.
“Dabes might call me sometimes. We might go over some plays,” Nabers said. “It can be any time of the day. He might be like, ‘I got a new play!’ I’ll be like, ‘What’s it called?’ He’ll be like, ‘It’s this. It’s sweet. You’re going to love it.’”
Nabers will have a chance to recharge on Wednesday with the team getting a day off after three straight practices. His workload will likely be ramped back up on Thursday. He’s eager to be more involved, but he took Tuesday’s quiet practice in stride.
“I’m going to continue to learn my playbook, continue to come out here and just try my best to get open,” Nabers said.
