New York Giants rookie wide receiver Malik Nahers set several franchise records — and some NFL ones — this season but admits he didn’t do it without some help.
During a recent sitdown for Giants Conversations, Nabers credited veteran teammate Darius Slayton with helping him prepare for both the season and individual games and matchups.
Malik Nabers says that Darius Slayton played a pivotal role in his record breaking rookie season. He even went so far as to create cut-ups for the receivers, detailing how each defensive back would play and their tendencies.#Giants #NFL pic.twitter.com/WbMuCdFbtZ
— The Giants Report (@giantsreport1) January 17, 2025
“I was thinking about Slay,” Nabers said. “He always had like a film set up of DBs; a cut-up. He would always give it to receivers before games — ‘how this DB plays, how this DB plays.’
“He had individual people he would go at. With me, he would go, ‘They’re already scared with your speed and quickness. Make sure you use that as your advantage.’ Once they know that I feel that is what you mainly attack. Use that first and then change it up a little bit.
“He’d be watching me and I’d try to mix it up too much and he’d be like, ‘Don’t mix it up too much, stay with the first mindset.'”
Slayton, a fifth-round pick out of Auburn back in 2019 by the Giants, had been the team’s leading receiver in four of his first five seasons with the club.
He will be an unrestricted free agent in March but is still just 28. Given his impact on their most dynamic player (Nabers), the Giants could look to re-sign Slayton.
Nabers, consequently, went on to set multiple records as a rookie despite playing in just 15 games, missing two games in October with a concussion. He caught 109 passes for 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns.
He was second in the NFL this season with 170 targets. Only another LSU legend, Cincinnati’s Ja’Marr Chase, had more (175). Nabers had the most targets by a rookie wide receiver in a season.
Nabers set the Giants’ single-season record for receptions with 109, surpassing the previous franchise high set by Steve Smith in 2009 (107).
He also had the most games with five or more receptions by a rookie (13).
