Malik Nabers was drafted number six overall by the New York Giants and now fans are debating whether Nabers can be as good as fellow top ten wide receiver selections Marvin Harrison Jr. and Rome Odunze.
Nabers put up sensational numbers last season with the LSU Tigers and Heisman winner Jayden Daniels, and he will be taking his talents to New York to play with Daniel Jones and Brian Daboll's team. Nabers' Tigers fell short of their goals last season, but the bar is set relatively low in New York City considering the Giants' disastrous 2023-2024 campaign.
If Nabers can help lead Jones and company back to the NFL Playoffs in his rookie season, he could find himself on the fast track to legendary status. The biggest question on many fans' minds is whether or not Nabers will have the opportunity to display his full complement of talents in the Big Apple, considering Jones' well documented struggles as a passer.
If Nabers does get the opportunity to shine, he may remind Giants fans of three of the best wide receivers in the National Football League: Amon-Ra St. Brown of the Detroit Lions, DJ Moore of the Chicago Bears and Ja'Marr Chase of the Cincinnati Bengals.
1. Amon-Ra St. Brown
St. Brown of the Lions made NFL history with his lucrative $120 million contract extension ahead of Thursday's NFL Draft, which brought out legions of Honolulu Blue and Silver clad Lions fans to downtown Detroit to watch Nabers get drafted.
Last season, St. Brown, who is roughly the same size physically as Nabers, put up incredible numbers in leading the Leos to the NFC North title and a near-victory over the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game. St. Brown, who is a thick, well-built 6-feet, 202 pounds, put up 115 receptions with 1,515 yards and 10 touchdowns for Jared Goff, Dan Campbell and the Lions. His yards per-catch average was 12.7.
For LSU football, Nabers had an amazing season of his own, to say the very least. Nabers' final stats on the season were 89 receptions for 1,569 yards and 14 touchdowns in a solid SEC Conference. Nabers was more explosive catching passes down the field than St. Brown, which could help him become one of the NFC's best receivers in a hurry.
Watching the game film, Nabers, listed at between 6-foot-0 to 6-foot-1 and 188 to 205 pounds, and shows similarities to St. Brown in that he runs smoothly and always seems to be under control. He doesn't have to strain much to beat defenders and lets the game come to him, similar to St. Brown.
His strong physique and high fitness level along with his patience allows Nabers to consistently make great plays throughout the game without even looking like he's breaking much of a sweat in the process.
2. Ja'Marr Chase
Chase has a similar build to Nabers and the game film shows two very similar players.
Both Chase and Nabers show the consistent ability to eat up space between themselves and defensive backs while separating right at the necessary time to get open and make big plays. It's not a matter of “if” with both of these guys, but a matter of “when,” as they both appear to have the same knack for separating from defenders just in the nick of time.
Chase put up 100 receptions with the Bengals last season and over 1,200 yards, even in Joe Burrow's absence.
If Nabers gets on the same page as Jones with the Giants and stays the course in the face of adversity, he could easily become New York's number one target in year one with the franchise. Nabers might not quite reach Chase's lofty heights but he has the tools to get there if everything falls right and Jones improves as a passer under Coach Brian Daboll's system in the big city.
Now, it's simply a matter of getting down to business, getting in the lab and getting the reps in, because Nabers has star potential written all over him and the Giants need help immediately.
3. DJ Moore
Moore has become the forgotten man in Chicago with Rome Odunze expectations already reaching a fever pitch, but he had a phenomenal 2023-2024 season with the Bears and is primed for better days ahead. Moore finished sixth in the NFL in receiving and is built similarly to Nabers: stout, strong, and under control in his playing style.
The cool, calm demeanor of Moore compares and contrasts well with Nabers' out on the field for LSU football and is a masterclass in what a modern receiver can accomplish out on the field with technique over pure, raw speed. Both Moore and Nabers are fast players, but both also demonstrate the importance of patience, technique and persistence in route-running, along with precision. Expect a Moore-like career trajectory for Nabers once he gets his feet underneath him in the NFC East this season and beyond.
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