​EAST RUTHERFORD – Malachi Fields just smirked at the mere mention of the play.Sure, the New York Giants rookie wide receiver was more than happy to talk about how he and quarterback Jaxson Dart connected for the most impressive touchdown of the preseason to this point. But that wasn’t the one play Fields enjoyed making most Saturday afternoon in the Giants’ exhibition loss to the Minnesota Vikings.Late in the third quarter, about an hour after Fields and Dart wowed MetLife Stadium with their off-script magic, Fields jogged onto the field with All-Pro punter Jordan Stout and the rest of the coverage team. He lined up slot right and immediately had flashbacks to his days as a safety for Monticello High School in Virginia.”If they’re gonna put me in there on punt, I gotta go get a tackle,” Fields said. “I haven’t really tackled anybody since high school.”Until Saturday’s preseason game, of course, when Fields hustled downfield and tripped up Vikings returner Dontae Fleming, ultimately heading back to the Giants’ sideline needing some help to put his shoulder pads back in his jersey following the play.”He didn’t play like a rookie out there. It was really fun to see.,” Giants coach John Harbaugh said, praising Fields for his route running, his highlight-reel 15-yard touchdown catch, his precise blocking in the run game and yes, his special teams contribution.Then Harbaugh offered what will resonate as the next challenge for the 22-year-old. “Now, hey, keep getting better.”To gain a true appreciation for what Harbaugh and the Giants saw in Fields, don’t just turn on his highlight tape from last season at Notre Dame. Watch those for running backs Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price, his teammates selected in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft by Arizona and Seattle, and Fields seemingly always found a way to command attention on theirs, too.Appreciating the true value of Malachi Fields’ skill set”When scouts were falling in love with Love and Price, the smart ones were also taking notice of the guy wearing No. 0 doing the dirty work to help make those plays happen,” an NFL personnel executive told NorthJersey.com and The Record this spring following the draft. “That’s the value of Malachi Fields, the real ones see that.”Fields’ skill set is not limited to his 6-foot-4, 220-pound frame or his willingness as a blocker, of course, but within an offense that expects to embody the physical identity Harbaugh wants to establish, that was believed to be his best chance to carve out an immediate role in the pros. His emergence this summer has revealed so much more.The Giants made an aggressive move in dealing their fourth- and fifth-round picks in addition to a fourth rounder in next year’s draft to Cleveland for No. 74 in the third round, where they selected Fields. He brings a different profile to the offense for Dart and the passing game.His presence on the perimeter will be an asset with and without the football in his hands.Fields spent most of his coll