Giants' Harbaugh not worried about Nabers' draft comments

New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers went viral after sharing his opinions about the team's first-round selections made Thursday.

After the Giants drafted Arvell Reese with the fifth overall pick, Nabers questioned where the Ohio State product would play on defense. The wideout noted that New York spent last year's No. 3 pick on edge rusher Abdul Carter and currently rosters Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux as well.

Later in the first round, the Giants took offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa at No. 10, while star safety Caleb Downs went to the Dallas Cowboys at 11th overall.

"I'd rather get (Downs) than play against him," Nabers said during a livestream on Bleacher Report with Micah Parsons and Adam Lefkoe. "I even told him, I said, 'I'm coming to get you.' I got to play against this thing again. He's good. He's very good. He's very good. Bro, he's very good. We all got him No. 1."

In regard to Nabers' comments, Giants head coach John Harbaugh said Saturday that he had a "great conversation" with the third-year pro.

"I showed him how we're going to use (Reese). He is fired up about it," Harbaugh said, according to Pro Football Talk's Josh Alper. "I appreciate it. You know, one thing that you'll kind of probably see as we go here, we don't get too worried about stuff."

Harbaugh added, "Malik wants to know how we're going to use our first-round pick - I want to show him. I want to explain it to him. The fact that he says it publicly, who cares? I know fans are probably thinking the same thing. It was the same question that everybody is going to have, and we knew that because we knew how kind of Arvell was perceived."

New York plans to use Reese primarily as an inside linebacker rather than an edge rusher. However, the Giants were reportedly engaged with the New Orleans Saints in trade talks involving Thibodeaux during the draft. It's unclear if New Orleans is still interested after acquiring Tyree Wilson from the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday.

Nabers missed most of the 2025 campaign after suffering a season-ending knee injury in late September. The 22-year-old, whom the Giants selected sixth overall in 2024, recorded 109 receptions for 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns during his rookie year.