There's a reason why the New York Giants traded three picks to the Cleveland Browns for the right to draft Notre Dame wide receiver Malachi Fields in Round 3 of the 2026 NFL draft on Friday night is simple: He looks familiar. And, he plays familiar.Scouts and fans of the game have seen this before, in the form of some of the NFL's greatest wideouts.During his introductory press conference at the Giants' facility alongside the team's second-round pick, Tennessee cornerback Colton Hood, Fields spoke about his influences growing up.The 6-foot-4, 218-pound Fields is the same size as another Virginia native and former Cavalier, Herman Moore, the four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver for the Detroit Lions in the 1990s.
It's no wonder he models his game after the likes of Julio Jones, A.J. Brown, and Mike Evans, all big-bodied receivers who also have the ability to beat defenders with their speed and route-running.#NYGiants Fields - it is important to him to play big and win contestes catches....consistency starts in practice and then after it too....takes pride in how he relates to the locker room.— GiantsWFAN (@giantswfan) April 25, 2026Fields also says that he plays faster than his workout times, and his tape shows that.Fields went on to mention that he transferred to Notre Dame last year from Virginia so he could compete against better competition, even if it meant he would not see as many targets.This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Giants' Malachi Fields prides himself on winning contested catches