Malachi Fields didn't need much time to give the New York Giants a reason to get excited about their newest wide receiver. The rookie made his NFL debut against the Minnesota Vikings and immediately showed why he could become an important piece of John Harbaugh's offense. Fields saw just 10 receiving snaps, but he made those chances count, catching all three passes thrown his way for 34 yards and a touchdown.
That's the kind of efficiency that gets noticed. More sports: Rams’ Puka Nacua Has to Avoid a ‘Year With Struggles’ Fields also showed off one of his biggest strengths coming into the NFL: his ability to win contested catches. Two of his three receptions came in contested situations, giving the Giants a glimpse of the type of receiver he could be when a play breaks down or a quarterback needs someone to make a difficult catch.
For a rookie, that's great stuff. The Giants don't need Fields to become the focal point of the offense overnight. But, Fields can develop into another reliable option while learning what Harbaugh and his staff expect from him.
His first performance suggests he may be ready to contribute sooner rather than later.Fields finished his debut with a 90.3 PFF grade, putting him among the better-performing rookies during the opening week of the preseason. Gordon McGuinness of PFF ranked Fields among the best rookies in the NFL so far, adding another layer of credibility to what was already a great first outing. Sports news: Commanders’ Dan Quinn is Under Extra Pressure This Season The sample size is obviously small, but Fields made the most of it.
Three catches, 34 yards and a touchdown on only 10 receiving snaps is difficult to ignore, especially when two of those receptions came with a defender contesting the ball. That's exactly the sort of early performance that can earn a young player more time on the field. Harbaugh and the Giants will have more to evaluate as the preseason continues.
Fields will have to show that he can consistently create separation, win at the catch point and handle a larger workload. Still, his debut was a nice little reminder that rookies don't always need a huge number of snaps to make themselves memorable.
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