Current version Hard Knocks We’ll be following the Giants’ offseason and highlighting some of the behind-the-scenes machinations that have taken place over the past few months before they make their moves.
One of the biggest moves the team made was selecting wide receiver Malik Neighbors with the sixth overall pick. There was no question about Neighbors’ talent or how he performed at LSU, but scout Chris Hamel noted in the second episode that Neighbors was playing with “a lot of frustration” and that “you’re going to hear about it” if the wide receiver doesn’t feel like he has the ball in his hands enough. Hamel concluded his report by saying the Giants “have to see if they can work with this young man because there’s a lot of personality to him.”
During his combine interview with general manager Joe Sean and head coach Brian Daboll, Neighbors was honest about how much he hates losing and not being able to throw the ball. Daboll said he loses sometimes, but to be successful in the NFL, “you have to learn how to take advantage of that.”
The episode then shows Sean discussing Neighbors with assistant general manager Brandon Brown, who says he’s less concerned about Neighbors and more concerned about whether a quarterback can connect with a player built like a wide receiver.
“That’s the question,” Brown said, “name a guy who’s good at that position, corner position or pass rusher, who was a choir boy, and he gives us something we don’t have. To me, it’s not about him. Can we handle whoever Q is?”
Sean responded that Daniel Jones has said good things about Neighbors, and how well they mesh over the next few months will be a factor in how long Jones remains the quarterback responsible for getting the ball to Neighbors and the rest of the Giants.
