FRISCO, Texas -- Division rivalries are a crucial component of professional sports. However, appreciation of a player absolutely balling out supersedes any rivalry, at least in the NFL's NFC East division.
New York Giants rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers is off to a dominant start to his NFL career. Following a Week 3 outing in which he snagged eight catches for 78 yards and two receiving touchdowns in New York's 21-15 win versus the Cleveland Browns, Nabers became the youngest wide receiver (21 years, 56 days old) in NFL history with two receiving touchdowns in a game. His three receiving touchdowns this season are tied for the most in a Giants player's first three career games since the 1970 AFL/NFL merger along with Odell Beckham Jr. (2014) and Bobby Johnson (1984).
This led to ex-Giants Pro Bowl running back Saquon Barkley, who is now with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2024 after switching teams in free agency this past offseason, to give Nabers his props, blowback be damned. Barkley tweeted "ya gonna hate on it ... but idc!!! He's LIKE THAT!!" on Monday.
On Tuesday, Cowboys three-time All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons admitted he is also a huge fan of Nabers prior to facing him and the Giants in Week 4 on "Thursday Night Football." He even attempted to draft him in the fifth round of a Fantasy football draft this summer.
"I think Malik Nabers is a dawg," Parsons said on Tuesday. "I was trying to draft him to my Fantasy team too. Someone took him right before my pick. I think he's another guy. He's legit. I'm excited to play against him."
Parsons isn't a bandwagon Nabers fan: he was keeping tabs on the 2024 sixth overall pick in training camp.
"I was watching his training camp highlights, and the things he was doing. So to go out there and see what he does in person, that's going to be exciting."
Giants quarterback Daniel Jones will do whatever he can to feed Nabers Thursday night against the Cowboys and for the the rest of the 2024 season. Nabers leads the NFL with 37 targets this season as does his team target percentage of 37.8%. His targets total is the second-most in a player's first three games in the 21st Century, trailing only Puka Nacua's 42 through his first three games in 2023. Nabers leads or co-leads all NFL rookies through Week 3 in catches (23), receiving yards (271) and receiving touchdowns (three), while ranking in the top five in the entire league in all three metrics.
Malik Nabers by the numbers
| NFL Rank* | ||
|---|---|---|
Targets | 37 | 1st |
Receptions | 23 | 2nd |
Receiving Yards | 271 | 5th |
Receiving TD | 3 | T-1st |
* Leads or co-leads all NFL rookies
The rookie's historic volume of targets, and his leaping ability are two things Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy has his eye on when watching film of Nabers while preparing for his squad to defend him face to face on Thursday night.
"Well, I tell you anytime you see a young man come into the league and just the way, just his targets and his ability to go get the football," McCarthy said. "Obviously he has the size and the speed and the body control. I do think he is a very exciting player when the ball is in the air. That's what's stood out to me."
