Big Blue living large on extreme ends of rookie spectrum with Malik Nabers, Elijah Chatman

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It's time to revisit a humorous story I told in one of our preseason newsletters with regard to rookies Elijah Chatman and Malik Nabers.

Sometimes the moments we witness in the Giants ' locker room make for great comedy - and in the best of those, we have to wait for the ultimate payoff. As the media walked in for the first time this season, I noticed Chatman sitting next to Rakeem Nunez-Roches, aka Nacho, and I offered congrats to Chatman for making the team as an undrafted rookie.

Nacho playfully groaned, complaining that the media was going to crowd his locker now that he was next to Chatman.

All Chatman did was point over his right shoulder to the prime real estate that is one of the corner lockers directly next to them, and Nacho gave himself a face palm. They are the two lockers next to Nabers.

One day later, Nacho was laughing at Chatman, who came out of the showers post-practice to his locker being blocked by TV cameras and reporters waiting to interview Nabers.

Chatman shrugged and sat down on the stool next to Nacho and waited it out.

"That surprised me," Chatman said. "Because I didn't expect THAT much media attention surrounding his locker, and it even took up my locker, which is why I had to stand off to the side. But now, I'm used to it. I'm OK with waiting. I mean, it gives me time to cool off [after practice] and just let him talk to everyone he needs to talk to."

Nabers and Chatman are locker room neighbors and they could not come into their rookie seasons from more extreme arrivals. Both are producing as part of a rookie class that leads the NFL in most snaps played so far this season.

Against the Browns, Nabers caught a pair of touchdowns and Chatman registered his first sack, also recovering a fumble from Brian Burns' strip sack of Deshaun Watson.

"You've got the first round pick who plays as hungry as a UDFA," Nunez-Roches said. "Then you have an undrafted guy who is performing like a first round pick right now. So, the two of them together, it's been cool to watch."

Four Downs with ... WR/PR Ihmir Smith-Morsette

This is our weekly four-part Q&A with Giants players and coaches hitting on a variety of topics. This week's subject: wide receiver and punt returner Ihmir Smith-Marsette, a New Jersey native who played his high school ball at Weequahic in Newark. He joined the Giants after Week 1 following a tryout when Gunner Olszewski was placed on injured reserve.

AS: This is quite the homecoming for you, isn't it?

ISM: Glad to be home. I have quite a few family in the area in North Jersey, so I'm happy to be here. I was with Burns [in Carolina]. I was teammates with Tyrone [Tracy at Purdue]. I was teammates with Dane [Belton at Iowa]. James Ferentz, our assistant offensive line coach, is from Iowa, too. Casey Kreiter. A lot of familiar faces, so it feels like home.

AS: There are not many guys in this locker room who can open the box and show their Super Bowl ring. You won one with the Chiefs a few years back. What does that ring represent for you?

ISM: Sets the standard. Sets the standard as motivation. You know what it takes to get there. You know what it looks like to win it. I didn't play in the game, but I prepared every week like I would play. I was part of that team. Next time, I want to play in it.

AS: Whose game did you model yours after when you were younger?

ISM: This isn't going to be a popular answer in this locker room or around here, but DeSean Jackson. Loved his game. Devin Hester - nobody better. Odell [Beckham Jr.]. And Jason Avant - as a receiver, I just thought he did everything well.

AS: So what's this I hear about you being a star water polo player in the eighth grade?

ISM: Yeah, I grew up as a swimmer. My nana put me in swimming lessons when I was 7 years old. There was a camp around the corner from my house, and to swim in the deep end, I had to pass a test every summer. I went to St. Benedict's Prep for two years, and they had a pool. The swimming coach saw me, and then I played water polo before football became my game.

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This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Big Blue living large on extreme ends of rookie spectrum with Malik Nabers, Elijah Chatman