Don’t overlook Malik Nabers as a developing leader of this 2025 Giants team, former Big Blue captain Jonathan Casillas said Monday.
Nabers, 21, learned from some of his own mistakes in how he handled frustrations as a rookie during the Giants’ 3-14 season.
But Casillas said Nabers’ passion, his desire to speak up and his recognition of the need for a stronger voice were all positive signs of what the talented receiver could become for this locker room as he continues to grow.
“He’s young, and he might have said some things out of pocket last year as a young, diva-like receiver,” Casillas said on the Talkin’ Ball with Pat Leonard podcast. “But Malik Nabers, I think people value the things he says. I think [Brian] Daboll values the things he says.
“I want to highlight him because not just do I think he was a tremendous talent last year, I do think he was trying to step into that leadership role,” Casillas added. “I think he sensed there was kind of a vacancy there, with the carousel at the quarterback position and QB play that hasn’t really been there for a few years. I think he wanted to step up and be that guy.”
Casillas, a two-time Super Bowl champion, captained the Giants’ 2016 playoff defense. He knows what it takes to speak for and represent this franchise.
That’s one of many life skills he will continue imparting to New Jersey youth on June 7-8 at the 10th annual Jonathan Casillas Forward Progress Camp in New Brunswick, where campers receive guidance in the classroom and on the field.
Players like Daniel Jones, Dexter Lawrence, Brian Burns and Greg Van Roten tried to fill last season’s locker room leadership void left by the departures of Saquon Barkley and Xavier McKinney but fell short.
Nabers, losing patience with the constant losing, erupted after a 30-7 blowout loss to the Buccaneers in November. He said the Giants had played “soft as f—” and pointed his finger at Daboll for the offense’s inexplicable afternoon.
Then Nabers doubled down after speaking with Joe Schoen and Daboll about his reaction.
“They want me to speak up,” Nabers said of the GM and coach. “They feel like my energy helps the offense, in a way, to be explosive. So of course I’m going to speak up if something doesn’t go my way. That’s just how I am. I’m not going to just sit back and just let it go down just because I’m a young player. Clout don’t mean nothing.”
The downside was that Nabers learned the hard way how not to handle that type of situation.
“I never spoke like he did, like everything that comes to his mind, he says it,” Casillas said.
The good news is that, on a team that needs juice, one of the Giants’ more talented players has shown a hatred for losing and a desire to speak for the team.
He just has to learn how to say it.
“There are guys on this team who have been around the NFL that have that leadership,” Casillas said, referring to Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston, Andrew Thomas, Jon Runyan Jr., Van Roten, Lawrence, Burns and Bobby Okereke, among others. “But don’t overlook Malik Nabers. I think everybody understands the type of talent he is. And with a little bit of coaching on how he handles the media, I think he can deliver the message that fully represents the message of the offense and the culture of the New York Giants.”
CASILLAS: DON’T OVERLOAD CARTER EARLY
Casillas said if he were Daboll and Giants defensive coordinator Shane Bowen, he would not ask rookie No. 3 overall pick Abdul Carter to learn multiple positions immediately this year.
Casillas would rather see the Giants deploy Carter as a pass rusher on the defensive line only in 2025 and then train him at off-ball linebacker to unlock his versatility later.
The goal right now, he said, should be to get the most production out of Carter this fall.
“I would keep him exclusively as a pass rusher, because I feel like the less the guy’s actually thinking, the more you can actually get what he’s truly capable of,” Casillas said, referencing the steep learning curve all rookies experience. “I wouldn’t train Abdul Carter off the ball and on the ball. I would exclusively keep him as a pass rusher. The question is where is he going to be on that line? That’s where I would get creative as Shane Bowen.”
Casillas, in other words, still views Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux as three-down players in the Giants’ defense alongside Lawrence. Then Carter can stay fresh for obvious passing situations, and the Giants hopefully can move around their pieces — including veteran end Chauncey Golston — to create mismatches and unpredictable pressures.
“I think he can be a guy that comes in for passing situations, and a lot of teams now are 60% pass [on offense],” Casillas continued. “What I’m looking for from him is for his production to be high. I don’t want to give him too much. Make sure when those passing situations come, he’s not thinking and he’s out there with his ears pinned back and just going. I think you’ll be able to get the most value out of him that way.”
CAMP IS COMING
In addition to Casillas’ 10th Annual Forward Progress Camp on June 7, the former NFL linebacker is partnering with Sumer Sports to launch his first ever Elite Camp on June 8 for 8th-12th grade football players.
The Elite Camp, catered to an older age group for $50 per person, will present an NFL Combine-like opportunity, from film sessions to official on-field evaluations that players can use for their college recruiting profiles.
“We’re going to put on basically a Combine style like camp,” Casillas said. “Sumer Sports is going to bring in laser 40s, vertical jump, broad jump, short cone shuttle, biometrics. And all of that is going to be verified information that will be viable for all the kids’ recruiting profiles.”
To sign up and obtain more information on Casillas’ camp, go to ForwardProgressCamp.com.
