New York Giants select Notre Dame WR Malachi Fields in third round of NFL Draft

Marcus Freeman once said that Malachi Fields should have been at Notre Dame for four years. But he’ll still enter the NFL as a member of the Fighting Irish.

The New York Giants selected Fields in the third round (No. 74 overall) of the 2026 NFL Draft on Friday night. After spending three years at Virginia, the Charlottesville, Va. native transferred to Notre Dame and caught 36 passes for 630 yards and 5 touchdowns in 2025.

Fields is Notre Dame’s highest-drafted transfer addition ever, beating out safety Alohi Gilman (sixth round, 186th overall) in 2018. He’s one of five Irish transfer additions to hear their names called, following Gilman, wide receiver Ben Skorwronek, defensive end Javontae Jean-Baptiste and quarterback Riley Leonard.

He is also Notre Dame’s highest-drafted wide receiver since Chase Claypool in 2020.

Despite putting up less prolific numbers than he did at Virginia, Fields’ impact at Notre Dame was obvious. At 6-foot-4, 223 pounds, his ability to threaten defenses downfield and make contested catches helped open up the offense punish defenses for loading the box to stop Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price.

He also played an integral role in the development of then-redshirt freshman CJ Carr, who excelled in his first season as a starter and could be in the first-round conversation in 2027 if he leaves Notre Dame after his redshirt sophomore year. Fields was a security blanket for Carr on the boundary and made several highlight-reel catches.

From the day he enrolled at Notre Dame in June, Fields was a perfect fit for the Irish, both on the field and for their culture.

“As a person, I love football,” Fields said at the NFL Scouting Combine. “I’ll come to compete every day. I’m gonna work hard. I show up the same every day, and I’m pretty level-headed. In any situation, never too high, never too low, and you’re going to get the same me.”

He is Notre Dame’s third player drafted this weekend, after the two star running backs went third overall to the Arizona Cardinals and 32nd overall to the Seattle Seahawks, respectively.

After finishing his college career with 165 receptions for 2,479 yards and 16 touchdowns, Fields was on NFL radars but his draft stock skyrocketed at the Senior Bowl. Throughout the week in Mobile, Ala., he showcased everything that made him an indispensable piece of Notre Dame’s offense.

“Fields dominated defensive backs in Mobile with his size (6-foot-4, 218 pounds) and ability to win over the top,” ESPN NFL Draft analyst Matt Miller said at the time. “It reminded me of his game against Pitt last season, when he had seven catches for 99 yards and two scores.”

Fields received some Round 1 hype after the Senior Bowl, but he ultimately landed on Day 2. He’ll be expected to contribute right away in the NFL, and he feels Notre Dame prepared him for that better than anywhere else.

“I was going into a place where I wasn’t a starter,” Fields said. “I didn’t have any cred. So I’m just going in there prepared to take a job. It just prepared me to step into that role at an NFL level.”