The NFL Draft will begin on April 25, 2024. We take a look at Malik Nabers, the freak athlete out of LSU who joins Marvin Harrison Jr. atop the 2024 wide receiver class.
Make sure to check out all of our other NFL Draft scouting reports.
Nabers was a four-star recruit coming out of high school and went on to have an illustrious career at LSU. He finished his career as the program’s all-time leader in receptions and also ranked No. 2 in yards. Considering the school has recently produced some of the biggest names at that position, that feat is all the more impressive. Nabers was an all-American this past season and hopes to follow in the footsteps of recent LSU legends like Odell Beckham Jr., Ja’Marr Chase, and Justin Jefferson.
Malik Nabers, WR, Louisiana State University
Name: Malik Nabers
Jersey: No. 8
Position: Wide Receiver
School: LSU
Class: Junior
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 195 lbs.
Strengths
Nabers is a strong route runner and has some imposing athletic traits at the receiver position. He is a threat to take the top off any defense, as well as over the middle and creating after the catch. Utilized in a myriad of ways at LSU and out of many formations, Nabers, like many star playmakers, lined up all over and excelled out of any spot on the field. He has an excellent catch radius and sticky hands, making him a big and easy target for any quarterback.
His balance is downright elite, a trait that is a separator between good and great players. His ability to stay upright while catching the ball, maneuvering through traffic, and evading tackles is a large reason for his success. Yet, his feel for routes, understanding of coverages, and use of both his eyes and feet in unison are something you don’t usually see from college players. If you’re not in press-man coverage against Nabers, he will destroy you all day and completely take over the game.
Weaknesses
His only real weakness is when defensive backs get physical with him. He seemingly falls apart at times when facing press-man and does not like contact overall. This is no small issue, yet it occurred so infrequently in college that it is hard to know exactly how big of a problem it is due to the small sample size. With that being said, when defenders would get physical with Nabers and knock him off his spot or route, he did not fare well at all. If he cannot make the necessary adjustments in the NFL, coordinators will pick this aspect of his game apart.
It’s worth noting that Nabers is both a physical blocker and a physical runner with the ball in his hand. Therefore, it is quite strange how contact affects him while running routes. This also may be a mitigating factor and may point to Nabers needing more experience getting out of press coverage to get over this one main deficiency in his play. Finally, Nabers used his savvy and smarts to take advantage of many broken coverages in college. Capitalizing on breakdowns for large gains and touchdowns will not happen with a similar frequency in the NFL and will hurt his overall production.
Pro Comparison: Torry Holt
The sharpness in and out of breaks is really what makes these two players remarkably similar. Their combination of speed, good hands, and using any means necessary to get open down the field makes this comp straightforward. The only real separator is in their style of play, as the game today is played differently than it was 20 years ago when Holt was a superstar. I believe Holt would have been used very similarly to how Nabers was used at LSU and will be used in the NFL. Yet, Holt was rarely used on gadget plays, short in-breaking routes, and on bubble screens.
Therefore, if you’re looking to make a comparison using style of play and overall similar capabilities, I’d look to A.J. Brown. Yet, Brown is significantly larger than Nabers and is slower, as Nabers will have the superior 40-time and it won’t be particularly close. Nevertheless, the way Brown was used in college and especially now with the Eagles is extremely similar to Nabers. Plus, the two excel at similar styles. While I don’t want to say that Nabers is a better version of A.J. Brown, he does have a higher ceiling.
Draft Projection: First Round
Malik Nabers is a special player. Players who come out of college with the kind of potential he has, are not usually this polished and ready for the NFL, but Nabers is refined and ready to succeed almost immediately. Widely considered a top-two wide receiver in this year’s draft and a top-10 prospect, it is a little hard to project where Nabers will fall. Nabers could go anywhere between the top five and 15 picks since quarterbacks dominate the draft. With a plethora of quarterbacks available and quarterback-needy teams on the prowl for their next franchise centerpiece, projecting the landing and spot and pick for a receiver like Nabers can be challenging.
While Nabers is considered second-fiddle to once-in-a-decade wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., I would not be surprised if that starts to swing slightly after the combine. I expect Nabers to have a sublime performance in Indianapolis while Harrison Jr. may not participate in a number of the drills; at this point, bad numbers would hurt the Ohio State standout more than good numbers would help him. Therefore, I would not be all that surprised if Nabers starts getting ranked and mocked higher than Harrison Jr., especially following the combine. There haven’t been two receivers this good to come out of the same draft since Jaylen Waddle and Ja’Marr Chase a couple of years ago and I think this duo is even better.
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