Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll stood Wednesday on the fertile ground where the Giants last found what they might be able to add again with Malik Nabers.
By showcasing his 42-inch vertical leap, an unofficial 4.35-second 40-yard dash, a 10-foot 9-inch broad jump and catch-and-run big-play ability, Nabers made the case at LSU’s Pro Day that he can provide the perimeter game-breaking element the Giants have been missing in the five seasons since trading the electric Odell Beckham Jr.
Actually, every pass that jumped out of quarterback Jayden Daniels’ hand and landed in Nabers’ fingers was doubly noteworthy for Schoen, Daboll and the other general managers and head coaches of teams with top-six draft picks who were inside LSU’s practice facility.
The Patriots, who will pick three spots ahead of the Giants at No. 3, sent nine talent evaluators, per SI.com.
Giants’ representatives dined Tuesday night with Nabers, The Post confirmed, and reportedly set up one of Daniels’ first six 1-on-1 team meetings for after his throwing showcase.
In case he somehow slips to pick No. 10, Nabers also met Tuesday with the Jets, per NFL Network.
“Yeah, it would be nice to have a No. 1 receiver,” Schoen said this week. “I think every team would sign up for that, and especially with an offensive head coach.”
Quarterback and receiver are the two most likely positions the Giants will address in the first round, whether at No. 6 or in a trade-up scenario.
The LSU combination produced jaw-dropping numbers during the season, including Daniels’ 34 touchdowns and zero interceptions on 15-plus yard passes, and Nabers’ FBS-leading 34 plays of 20-plus yards, according to Pro Football Focus.
The Heisman Trophy-winning Daniels was first to greet Nabers with a celebratory chest bump Wednesday after his blazing 40-yard dash.
Two hours later, with Daniels wearing a sweatshirt with cancer-stricken LSU teammate Greg Brooks Jr.’s name and number on the back, the duo connected on sideline bombs, in-cutting seams and slant-and-go’s over the course of 56 scripted passes.
“The Giants desperately need some explosion in their offense,” one NFL scout told The Post. “Nabers definitely brings it on the perimeter – or to the slot, where he actually did most of his damage. Every touch can go the distance.
“You hear Lamar Jackson [comparisons] floated a lot with Daniels. That’s putting heightened expectations on him – he’s not the athlete Lamar was coming out of college, but he’s a more advanced passer, and a scrambler. I think Jayden will give you hope to win in any situation because of his unique combination of running and passing abilities.”
It would be a surprise at this point if the 6-foot-3, 210-pound Daniels – one of four quarterbacks who could be top-six picks – slipped to No. 6 when he could go as high as No. 2 to the NFC East rival Commanders.
Nabers is competing against fellow receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. – who did not participate in the NFL Combine or Ohio State’s Pro Day – to be the first non-quarterback selected.
Nabers set the LSU all-time receiving yards record — more than Beckham and more recent first-round picks Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson.
If, as Schoen teased, the Giants still are open to trading down in the first round, LSU receiver Brian Thomas Jr. could enter the equation.
The projected mid-first-round pick’s performance Wednesday – just like his production during the season – was overshadowed by Nabers, but he looked impressive nonetheless catching vertical routes after standing on NFL Combine numbers, including a 4.33-second 40-yard dash.
The light version of a double-dip will repeat on the scouting calendar Thursday, when the Giants are expected to have another contingent on hand to watch quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and receiver Rome Odunze at Washington’s Pro Day.
Penix Jr. is regarded as a second-round pick with medical concerns, whereas Odunze completes the trio of receivers who are expected to be top-10 picks.
“There are a lot of intricacies to Rome’s game,” ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller told The Post. “He’s a technician, and the way that he fights for the ball is crazy.”
Daboll instead could choose to head east Thursday to North Carolina, where quarterback Drake Maye will have a Pro Day workout.
Maye is training under David Morris, who works with Giants quarterback Daniel Jones and is close friends with Eli Manning.
“We’re going to try to draft the best player that we can draft at 6 or higher or lower,” Daboll said. “There’s a lot of work that needs to be done.”