Malik Nabers smiled as he talked about fellow rookie Tyrone Tracy Jr.
The dour look that had enveloped his face as he broke down his chances of playing Sunday against the Colts — a toe injury kept him out of practice Thursday — vanished.
Nabers lit up again when he was asked about the rookie class as a whole — himself, Tracy, safety Tyler Nubin, cornerback Dru Phillips, tight end Theo Johnson and linebacker Darius Muasau.
“I feel like we’re all dawgs,” Nabers said.
The crown jewel of the class, Nabers has been most impressed by the toughness of the group, the willingness to play hurt even as the losses have piled up.
He singled out Nubin and Johnson playing through injuries earlier in the season that eventually required season-ending surgeries.
If he can, Nabers plans to be out there Sunday against the Colts, even if Giants fans would probably prefer he skip the game to help them land the No. 1 overall pick in April’s NFL Draft.
“We’ve got that mentality that we want to win,” the standout receiver said. “Nothing’s going to stop us from getting done what we want to get done. To have that as a group and all in one, the sky’s the limit for us. I’m happy for that.”
It has been a positive in this lost season. Tracy, a fifth-round pick, is 17 yards shy of posting 1,000 yards from scrimmage.
The Giants’ third-round pick, Phillips looks like a keeper as a slot corner, his 77.8 Pro Football Focus grade ranking 11th out of 217 players at his position.
He has allowed just 30 catches for 274 yards and one touchdown in 14 games, per NextGenStats.
In 12 games, Johnson showed promise as a pass catcher, hauling in 29 receptions for 331 yards and a touchdown before his year came to a close due to a foot injury on Thanksgiving.
Of late, Muasau has begun to shine, registering 11 tackles — four of the solo variety — in last Sunday’s loss to the Falcons.
Then there is Nabers, the sixth-overall pick in last April’s draft who is three receptions short of 100 and 31 yards short of 1,000. He already owns the franchise’s rookie record in receptions.
The lone Giants rookie to compile more than 1,000 yards receiving was Odell Beckham Jr. (1,305) in 2014.
“A lot of things to fix, a lot of things we can look back on in our rookie year and continue to try to get better for next year. I’m happy with the group … that they picked,” Nabers said. “We’ve been doing a lot of great things. I’m hoping that we continue to do those things throughout the year.”
Added Tracy: “We do have a bright future here with the organization, just from what we put on tape thus far. … I think that we’re winners, we want to win at all costs. We are dawgs. You can see that energy and passion we play with, each and every one of us. We yell and we’re playing hard, no matter if we’re up 10 points or down 10 points. That’s just in us. You can’t really coach that.”
The Giants’ immediate future is uncertain: whether coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen will return.
Who will be the team’s starting quarterback next season?
This rookie class, though, at least has given this beaten down fan base a reason to believe that next year and the years to follow won’t be quite as bad.
“It’s been a tough one. But we’re building up a lot of fire to push into next year,” Nabers said. “Thanks to those fans that come out and support us this year. But we’ve got to be better. We’ve got to go out there and put on a show. We’ve been trying to, but things haven’t [gone right].
“But yes, next year, the fire is burning up inside me to give those fans a show anytime I’m out there on the field. That’s why I continue to go out there and try to be the life of the fans, try to be the life of the team. That’s why I continue to go out there and show my skills and try to lead by example and be that guy.”