The NFL scouting combine takes place the first week of March, which means that the 2024 NFL Draft is just around the corner. Marvin Harrison Jr. is the headliner for many in this star-studded 2024 wide receiver class. But, there are a couple of players who could potentially push Harrison Jr. for that number one spot. One of those players is LSU's Malik Nabers. Nabers was flat-out sensational last season in Baton Rouge for the Tigers and great in 2022 as well. He was second only to Rome Odunze in receiving yards in the country, and even then, Nabers was only 71 yards behind Odunze despite playing two fewer games. Nabers is an elite talent who can step into the NFL and help a team right away. Two teams, in particular, he could give a boost to? The Arizona Cardinals and the New York Giants.
Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals are in pole position to land Marvin Harrison Jr. with the fourth overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft. But that doesn't mean they are guaranteed to draft him.
The Patriots also could really use a wide receiver and could eschew drafting a quarterback or trading down in the draft to select Harrison Jr. If both are available, it doesn't seem entirely out of the question that the Cardinals would draft Nabers over Harrison Jr. either. Both are on relatively equal footing as prospects.
At the very least, it is well within the range of outcomes that Malik Nabers becomes an Arizona Cardinal. If he does, then he'd be exactly what the Cardinals need out of a true number-one receiver. Arizona already had a pretty potent offense last season without one of those once Kyler Murray returned from his torn ACL in Week 10.
Arizona could potentially field a receiver corps of Malik Nabers, Marquise Brown, Michael Wilson (who averaged 9.7 yards per target as a rookie, which ranked 15th among all wide receivers according to playerprofiler.com), and Rondale Moore. They also have a burgeoning star at tight end in Trey McBride, who averaged 2.03 yards per route run last season. That was second among all tight ends in the NFL.
The Cardinals have two first-round picks in the 2024 NFL Draft. They have six picks through the first three rounds of the draft and have 13 picks in the draft overall. Arizona could get good in a hurry. Malik Nabers would have a lot to do with that if they were to select him with their fourth overall pick.
New York Giants
The New York Giants are in dire need of a No. 1 receiver. Ever since they traded Odell Beckham Jr. to the Cleveland Browns back in 2019, they have been lost at that position.
The perpetually underrated Darius Slayton has been their leading receiver from that point on. He's had four seasons with at least 724 yards out of five in his career but has never put together more than 770 in a single campaign.
The Giants have tried to address that position but just have never been able to fill Beckham Jr.'s void. They used a first-round pick on Kadarius Toney, but that was a disaster. They traded a third-round pick for Darren Waller, but that pairing never got off on a good foot with all the injuries the Giants' offense suffered.
This is the Giants' chance to find a true alpha heir apparent receiver to Beckham Jr. What better way to do it than by drafting another receiver from LSU. Nabers can line up anywhere on the field and be deployed in a similar manner head coach Brian Daboll used Stefon Diggs when he was in Buffalo. This pairing would make a lot of sense.
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