The New York Giants may have bagged a major difference maker in Malachi Fields.
The New York Giants entered the NFL Draft without a third-round pick, but they changed that on Day 2 of the draft last week when they moved up to select Notre Dame wide receiver Malachi Fields with the 74th overall pick.
The Giants traded their fourth and fifth-round draft picks plus a 2027 fourth-rounder to acquire the draft choice from the Cleveland Browns, but for Fields, it was worth it.
Fields is exactly what New York needed at the wide receiver position. He stands 6-foot-4, weighs 223 pounds and while he may not have top-end speed, he possesses incredible overall athleticism that allows him to make some spectacular grabs.
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler spoke with an NFC assistant coach regarding the Giants' decision to trade up for Fields, and the coach seemed to love New York's decision.
"Downfield playmaking, plays faster than he ran and was able to go up and make plays on the ball," the coach said. "Could win isolate routes outside the numbers."
In fact, Fowler said "a few" coaches messaged him throughout the week raving about the Giants' selection.
Fields spent the first four years of his collegiate career at Virginia before transferring to Notre Dame for his final season in 2025. This past year, he hauled in 36 receptions for 630 yards and five touchdowns, averaging 17.5 yards per catch.
Malachi Fields. Credit: USA TODAY Network.New York is still waiting on Malik Nabers to return from a torn ACL, so not only will Fields provide the Giants with a much-needed X-receiver, but he could also represent an insurance policy in case Nabers isn't ready for Week 1.
Chances are, Nabers will be back on the field for the season opener, though, so we will get to see a Nabers-Fields duo on the outside with Calvin Austin III operating in the slot and Darnell Mooney doing a little bit of everything.
Throw in the fact that New York also signed tight end Isaiah Likely in free agency, and you'll see that Big Blue suddenly has a very versatile group of playmakers in the aerial attack that should pay massive dividends for Jaxson Dart.
Fields may be the biggest difference maker of all of the pass-catchers the Giants have added this offseason, however. Yes, he is still entirely unproven on the NFL level, but it's hard to ignore his physical attributes and what he brings to the table.
New York has been needing a big-bodied receiver for years. In fact, the last truly reliable one it had was Plaxico Burress, an that was nearly two decades ago.
Remember how much Dart enjoyed throwing to Lil'Jordan Humphrey for a brief moment in 2025? Well, imagine him doing that regularly with a much more talented receiver in Fields.
The price may seem steep on paper, but it was really only three Day 3 picks, most of which generally never actually contribute in the pros. For a player with Fields' skillset, it was absolutely worth it for the G-Men.
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