Malik Nabers questions Giants' first-round picks in 2026 NFL Draft

Jack McKessy, USA TODAYFri, April 24, 2026 at 4:05 AM UTC

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Ask NFL draft experts around the web, and they'll tell you the New York Giants did a bang-up job in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Ask Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers, and you'll get a less enthusiastic take.

Nabers was part of Bleacher Report's NFL draft livestream, reacting to each pick as it came in. With the Giants owning two selections in the first 10 picks of the draft, Big Blue's star wideout had two chances to react to his team's picks early – and he didn't seem enthused by either choice.

If anything, Nabers' reaction to both picks – Ohio State linebacker/edge rusher Arvell Reese at No. 5 overall and Miami (Fla.) offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa at No. 10 – showed signs of disappointment and confusion.

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Nabers' icy reaction to the Giants' two top 10 picks only got chillier when the Dallas Cowboys selected safety Caleb Downs, a player the wideout had hoped would be one of his new teammates. The third-year receiver was visibly upset to see Dallas trade up to the No. 11 pick – the selection right after the Giants' second first-round pick – and take a top-rated defender that he'll now have to face twice per year.

Here's a closer look at Nabers' reaction to the No. 5, No. 10 and No. 11 overall picks in the 2026 NFL Draft:

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Malik Nabers reacts to Giants' No. 5 pick

When New York selected Reese with the No. 5 pick, Nabers' immediate reaction was to shrug.

After a brief moment of analysis from Bleacher Report's Trevor Sikkema, Nabers was asked directly how he felt about his new teammate.

"I love the player, don't get me wrong, I love the player," Nabers said. "But ... where do you play? You want to be on the outside and rush, but we just drafted somebody last year (2025 No. 3 overall pick Abdul Carter) to do that same position."

The wideout went on to say he hoped the Giants drafted Downs, Ohio State's safety, with their next pick. Nabers cited New York's decision to trade defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence as one of the primary reasons the team needed to add help in the secondary.

"When you eliminate something from there (the defensive front), you have to put something in the back end (secondary) to be secure," Nabers said.

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Malik Nabers reacts to Giants' No. 10 pick

Nabers' expression did not change immediately after Bleacher Report's livestream revealed the Giants picked Mauigoa, an offensive lineman, with the No. 10 overall pick.

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"[Malik] looks pissed," said Green Bay Packers edge rusher Micah Parsons, who was sitting next to Nabers on the stream.

"I'd rather get (Caleb) Downs than play against Downs," Nabers said. "That's all I'm saying.

"(Giants quarterback) Jaxson [Dart] did mention that he wanted an offensive lineman in this draft. But is [Mauigoa] going to play inside? We just paid (right tackle Jermaine) Eluemunor, we got [Andrew Thomas] on the left side. Okay, so he has to play guard, but a lot of his film at Miami is not guard."

After Sikkema said he envisioned Mauigoa playing guard in the short-term, Nabers compared that situation to Giants 2022 first-rounder Evan Neal, a tackle the team has since converted to guard.

Asked specifically why he appeared disappointed with the Giants' pick at 10, Nabers said he believed New York should have drafted Downs since they could have taken a guard later on in the draft.

"We could've got the playmaker now. We need another playmaker in the deep zone," Nabers said before elaborating that Downs' versatility could have been a valuable asset for Big Blue's defense.

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Malik Nabers reacts to Cowboys drafting Caleb Downs

With Nabers' heart apparently set on the Giants drafting Downs, his disappointment reached its zenith when the Ohio State safety instead landed with a division rival – and one pick after New York's second first-round selection.

When Downs' name showed up as Dallas' pick, Nabers exclaimed loudly and stood up from the couch.

"I'd rather get him than play against him," Nabers said, re-emphasizing what he had said one pick prior.

"I gotta play against this thing again. Bro, he's good. He's very good," Nabers said. "He's very good. Bro, he's very good.

"He's everywhere. Like, you see him on tape, he's lining up nickel, safety, blitzing off the edge, lined up inside. He's everywhere. That's a guy you need for that defense."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Malik Nabers couldn't believe the Giants' picks in the 2026 NFL Draft

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