Jaxson Dart and the Giants adjust on the fly to life without Malik Nabers

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — After learning his season was over because of a torn ACL in his right knee, Malik Nabers had a long talk on the phone with friend and fellow New York Giants receiver Jalin Hyatt. Nabers’ message was clear, even through the pain.

“He just told me it’s my chance,” Hyatt recalled Wednesday. “This is the time for me to do what I’ve got to do.”

Nabers’ injury threatens to hurt rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart’s development right at the time the two could have been building a long-lasting connection. But as the Giants quickly adjust to life without Nabers — their best offensive player who’s blossoming into an elite playmaker — his absence opens the door for Hyatt and rookie Beaux Collins to fill a massive void.

“This is going to be a big opportunity for me,” said Hyatt, a 2023 third-round pick who has thus far underachieved expectations and has just 31 career catches for 435 yards. “I knew I’d get my chance this year. I just didn’t know when. You never know if it’s going to be early or late, and that’s why you train the same way and practice. You stay ready whenever because this is the NFL and anything can happen.”

Dart is making his second NFL start Sunday at the 0-4 New Orleans Saints after beating the Los Angeles Chargers in his first last weekend to get the previously winless Giants to 1-3. With Nabers out, he’ll be throwing to veterans Darius Slayton and Wan’Dale Robinson, rookie running back Cam Skattebo, tight ends and some combination of Hyatt, Collins and Gunner Olszewski.

“You definitely can’t just replace a player like that,” Dart said of Nabers. “But we’ve got a lot of good guys and guys who are going to be willing to step up, and they have to step up. Going into this next game, just trying to get on the same page with everybody and being able to execute at the highest level.”

Practice this week will go a long way toward determining how coach Brian Daboll and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka choose who to get more involved. Collins offers an intriguing option as an undrafted free agent out of Notre Dame who got plenty of training camp time with Dart and has prototypical pro size at 6-foot-3.

“We’ve put in a lot of work in training camp, in the spring, things like that, so just fall back on that,” Collins said. “The guys here, they believe in me. I believe in my guys, so just fall back on the process.”

Neither Collins nor Hyatt has been targeted through four games this season. Nabers had more than a quarter of them from Russell Wilson and then Dart. Robinson, Skattebo and tight end Theo Johnson are next after that.

If the Giants are leaning toward Hyatt or Collins for the first look with the starters, they’re not saying. There may wind up being snaps for both of them to show what they can do.

“Those guys have been working hard,” Daboll said. “They’re out here for a reason. I expect them to know what to do and go out there and do it at the highest level they can do it.”

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