For the Giants, it was organized team activity practice No. 9. For Malik Nabers, it was the most explosive glimpse to date as far as what the rookie wide receiver might be able to add to the Giants’ passing game.
Nabers on Thursday put on a show, running two deep routes for two long touchdown receptions.
On the second one, he beat cornerback Cor’Dale Flott, leaped into the air, reached back and snared the ball at the peak of his jump.
“Yeah, man, he looked good,” second-year receiver Jalin Hyatt said. “I have no worries about him. Just seeing how he plays, watching his film, you know he’s going to be elite.”
Hyatt was feeling so good about what he saw from Nabers that he called the receivers room “stacked” and declared, “We have a playoff team and that’s what we want to do and that’s our focus. We’re going to get there.”
The Giants posted the video of Nabers making the highlight-worthy catch over Flott and cornerback Deonte Banks responded with the comment “defense needs some love.” Banks said matching up this spring with Nabers has been “really fun, real competitive” when the two first-round picks go at each other.
“I love Nabers,” Banks said. “That’s my guy.”
Eagles coach Nick Sirianni the other day said he responds to Giants fans getting on him by giving it right back to them.
“I typically let it go,” Sirianni said, “but if they get me good enough, I usually say, ‘You know, we got your best player.’ ”
Sirianni, of course, was referring to Saquon Barkley. After six years with the Giants, Barkley switched from blue to green and signed with the Eagles for three years and $37.75 million.
Asked to comment on this, Giants coach Brian Daboll said, “Yeah, I love Giants fans.”
What about the crack that the Eagles now have the Giants’ best player?
Daboll wouldn’t bite, saying he was focused on the OTAs.
Daboll has communicated with tight end Darren Waller this offseason via text messages.
Waller is contemplating retirement — that is the direction he is headed, the Giants believe — and the definitive word could come down next week when the Giants hold their mandatory two-day minicamp Tuesday and Wednesday.
Kick returner Gunner Olszewski went down last week with what looked to be a lower-leg/foot injury.
He did not practice Thursday and it looks as if he will not participate in next week’s two-day mandatory minicamp. “It wasn’t over the top,” Daboll said of the injury. “He’ll be good for training camp.”
Rookie kicker Jude McAtamney, from Rutgers by way of Ireland, drilled a long field goal to end practice despite Dexter Lawrence’s efforts to unnerve him by trash talking before the kick.