Malik Nabers's historic start has rookie's hype train rolling full speed ahead

In HBO's "Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants," head coach Brian Daboll shares his assessment of Malik Nabers with general manager Joe Schoen after watching the LSU star's game tape. "Dude's a baller," Daboll tells Schoen.

Then in the team's interview, Daboll tells the uber-talented 21-year-old wide receiver that he likes his competitive fire because the Giants offense "needs some dogs."

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"I want guys that want the ball," Daboll adds.

Nabers is everything the Giants hoped when they drafted him with the sixth overall selection in last April's NFL Draft. He's tied for the NFL lead with three touchdown catches and ranks second in receptions with 23. And, as promised by Daboll, Nabers is getting the ball as his offense's focal point, leading the league with 37 targets.

In Week 2, Nabers enjoyed a breakout game with 10 grabs, 127 receiving yards and a touchdown in a 21-18 loss to the Washington Commanders. On Sunday, he grabbed the league spotlight with the early front-runner for Catch of the Year in Sunday's 21-15 victory against the Cleveland Browns.

Nabers' twisting and turning in mid-air to haul in a 3-yard touchdown looked more like a CGI creation.

On the day, Nabers finished with two TDs to go with eight receptions for 78 yards. He's already made NFL history as the first player to log at least 20 catches and three TD catches in his first three games.

Nabers' emerging role and growing chemistry with quarterback Daniel Jones are exactly what Schoen and Daboll dreamed when they prioritized a playmaking wideout over offensive-line help with the team's first-round pick.

Sportsbooks and bettors have taken notice of Nabers' immediate impact.

Nabers has taken over as the betting favorite for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. He's the front-runner at DraftKings (+220) and FanDuel (+200) ahead of Arizona Cardinals wideout Marvin Harrison Jr. (+225 at DraftKings, +350 at FanDuel).

Jones, who received most of the blame for the Giants' 6-11 collapse last season, definitely appreciates throwing to a bona fide franchise receiver.

"I've got a lot of trust in him going up and getting the ball," Jones said of Nabers. "We need to continue to take advantage of his ability to make plays."

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