New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh must rectify this one major deficiency.
The New York Giants finally have a proven head coach in John Harbaugh, representing the first time the organization has possessed such a thing since Tom Coughlin.
There have certainly been some flubs in between, but now, the Giants can rest easy knowing they have a leader who has been there, done that.
However, that doesn't mean Harbaugh comes without flaws.
Remember: when Coughlin arrived in New York back in 2004, he was immediately under fire for his inability to formulate relationships with his players, a problem he fixed midway through his fourth season with the club ... which led to a Super Bowl that season and another championship four years later.
All coaches have their deficiencies, and for Harbaugh, there is one glaring defect he has on his resume: his inability to develop wide receivers.
Harbaugh coached the Baltimore Ravens for nearly two decades, and throughout his entire tenure with the team, he produced just one Pro Bowl receiver. That was Zay Flowers in each of Harbaugh's final two seasons in Baltimore.
Think about that for a minute: between 2008 and 2023, Harbaugh's initial 16 seasons with the Ravens, Baltimore did not have a single wide out in the Pro Bowl.
Now, Harbaugh is fortunate enough to join a Giants team that already has Malik Nabers, who made the Pro Bowl during his rookie campaign in 2024. But should New York be worried about Harbaugh's ability to get the most out of his other receivers?
Take rookie Malachi Fields, for example. The Giants spent a rather substantial amount of draft capital to acquire Fields back in April, and he has had a tremendous showing in training camp and preseason.
But do we trust Harbaugh to properly bring Fields along?
Chances are, Fields will be just fine. He is talented enough to become an absolute stud, but Harbaugh doesn't exactly have the best history with receivers.
Perhaps it's just a coincidence. Maybe it was just poor drafting on the part of Eric DeCosta and the Ravens' front office. Or maybe there really are deeper issues that need to be eradicated.
Whatever the case may be, Harbaugh is entering a new era with a new team, and putting together a strong group of weapons around Jaxson Dart is paramount.
Let's hope Harbaugh can buck the nasty trend.
