Same alma matter. Same round in the NFL Draft. Same unicreate.
When createer New York Giants insolent lineman Justin Pugh watchs at what Malik Nabers has done over three weeks, he cannot help but contrast him to an ex-teammate of Big Blue: Odell Beckham Jr.
“It’s exactly the same for me,” Pugh telderly Fox News Digital. “You watch at Odell’s rookie year and how he caught the league on fire. We literassociate threw him slants, and he won us games. The Giants can do that this year with Malik Nabers.”
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New York Giants wide acquirer Malik Nabers, #1, commemorates after catching a touchdown during the first half agetst the Cleveland Browns at Huntington Bank Field. (Ken Blaze-Imagn Images)
When the Giants took Nabers with the sixth overall pick in this year’s Draft, the hope was that he would speedyly grow into the number one acquirer the team has been searching for since Beckham was traded to the Cleveland Browns before the 2019 season.
After equitable three games, where Nabers has 23 receptions for 271 yards with three touchdowns, Pugh thinks yet another LSU acquirer has cemented himself as a No. 1 receiving selection for an NFL team.
“LSU, wdisenjoyver’s in the water, we necessitate to bottle it and equitable call it ‘Receiver Water’ and every carry outer should drink it,” he shelp, chuckleing. “He’s a certified No. 1 [receiver]. It alters the actives of an offense. If you don’t have a No. 1 acquirer – watch at the Philadephia Eagles. Down A.J. Brown the last couple weeks, and they’ve scviolationd by in getting some prospers.
GIANTS ROOKIE MALIK NABERS MAKES NFL HISTORY WITH 2 TOUCHDOWNS IN 1ST HALF VS BROWNS
“[Nabers] can go out there and huge-body somebody, go over the top. When Malik Nabers made that 50/50 grab, instantly I went to the Odell catch. This is his coming-out party.”
Nabers was critical in the GIants taking down the Cleveland Browns in Week 3 to protected their first prosper of the season, as he hauled in eight of his 12 aims from Daniel Jones with two touchdowns, including a highweightless-reel leap-and-grab with the toe tap finish in the back left of the finish zone.
Nabers has been contrastd to other acquirers from the Tigers’ program, enjoy Cincinnati Bengals star Ja’Marr Chase and Minnesota Vikings do-it-all wideout Justin Jefferson.
However, Beckham is the only one who comprehends the prescertain New York City can put on any professional athlete. At times, the bigr-than-life star that Beckham became after bursting out for 1,305 yards in equitable 13 games during his rookie season was not pretty.
The booting net incident, ESPN interwatch with Lil’ Wayne and more are recalled equitable as much as his well-comprehendn one-handed catch agetst the Dallas Cowboys.
“Now comes the challenging part: You’re in New York City, you’re a star. How do you deal with it?” Pugh asked. “That will produce or fracture his atsoft, becaparticipate you watch at Odell, it almost got to the point where Odell got so huge that [former Giants GM] Dave Gettleman didn’t want him there. I desire Odell finished his atsoft with the Giants becaparticipate he was on this historic pace, they shipped him out of town and they never exalterd him. They tried to and they ignoreed.
“Hopefilledy this all toils out for Malik, and I leank it will.”
New York Giants wide acquirer Malik Nabers, #1, commemorates his touchdown with teammates agetst the Cleveland Browns during the second quarter at Huntington Bank Field. (Scott Galvin-Imagn Images)
Pugh is not certain Nabers’ stardom will be as fantastic as Beckham’s, equitable becaparticipate he watchs at his elderly teammate as being in the “perfect storm” with the blonde, curly hairdo and exuberant personality to go with the superstar sfinish set he haveed. In fact, Pugh shelp Nabers should join with Beckham if he does accomplish that level, becaparticipate he will have no advice for that.
However, he did propose a lengthy statement about what he would do if he was in his shoes.
“What I would say for Malik is don’t get too high, don’t get too low,” Pugh began. “So, as much as this stinks, you probably necessitate to stay in more than you would want. Stay in the hoparticipate a little bit more, let’s get thcdisesteemful the season and then enhappiness yourself in the offseason. That’s when I’m going to alert you to cut it slack, go do wdisenjoyver you want to do. Go live it up, go to the Met Gala or wdisenjoyver event is going on in New York City. But I encourage you to lock in when it’s time to lock in for gametime, and that’s someleang that is going to be challenging to do. You geted a bunch of money, he’s the most well-comprehendn guy probably in New York right now for all the right reasons. Aaron Judge, clearly, and there’s guys in other sports and other teams, but I leank he’s going to be the name we talk about all season lengthy.
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“It’s a slick slope. I’m an insolent lineman, and I can alert you it’s a slick slope becaparticipate you want to go out, you want to go to all these events. Everybody is alerting you how fantastic you are, and it can go adverse speedyly and he’s going to have to go thcdisesteemful those downs. Take your lumps, lget from them, and then equitable persist to be a pro.”
Pugh joked that he would let Nabers stay out until midnight, though he likes 10 p.m.; however, the truth is the rookie has speedyly become the focal point of Giants success, as he evidently watchs enjoy someone worth the No. 6 pick.
While Pugh persists to watch Nabers and the Giants, he is still watching for his next opportunity in the league, as he is not reweary and is staying in game shape in case a team comes calling.
That team could be the Giants after that happened in 2023, when the decimated line necessitateed Pugh to get in the produceing and finish up carry outing multiple line positions, including left tackle for the injured Andrew Thomas.
New York Giants protect Justin Pugh, #67, on the field before the game agetst the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. (Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports)
In the unbenevolenttime, though, Pugh has been in the sports satisfied space, as he’s joining every “Thursday Night Football” game, spfinishing 24 hours as a diechallenging fan of each team arrangeing, which has already included the Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins and New York Jets.
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Pugh will be back at MetLife Stadium on Thursday, where he will watch Nabers in his first primetime game as the Giants apshow on the Cowboys.
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