In a draft class filled with offensive weapons, LSU wide receiver looks to continue the trend of pass catchers from his school becoming superstars on the NFL.
Here is everything you need to know about the Tiger’s top receiving threat:
Vitals
Height: 6-0
Weight: 200
Class: Junior
Strengths
A smooth athlete who was a key component in the historically good LSU offense, Malik Nabers stands out as a top receiver in a class filled with top end talent.
Nabers is a smooth and explosive route runner, hitting a second gear at a moments notice allowing him to quickly shake off trailing defenders or burst through an opening once the ball is in his hands. With the potential to take the top off defenses as well as to pick apart zone or man coverage across the field, Nabers is a nightmare for defenses to keep track of. Nabers has an elite ability to lull defenders before seemingly being shot out of a cannon and blowing past even speedier corners. His unnatural burst and twitch makes defensive backs look slow on closing angles as it is impossible to anticipate as well as causing plenty of missed tackles, and his ability to slide in and out of breaks gives defenders headaches at each level of the defense.
A chunk of the offensive production came through Nabers this season who experienced his best season yet as a Junior. With 89 catches, 1569 yards, and 18 touchdowns on the season, Nabers proved to be quite unstoppable in his connection with quarterback Jayden Daniels.
Weaknesses
While Nabers is a fantastic athlete with the ball in his hands it is sometimes a struggle for him to win contested catches down the field. Nabers needs to more consistently use some of that elite athleticism to attack the football as well as work on his adjustment to the ball when in the air.
Projection
It’s not easy to stand out in a class with this many high level receiving threats but Malik Nabers does just that, and if not for a generational prospect at the top of his positions rank would likely be the number one receiver in his class. Teams are always looking for their own versions of Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson, and it makes sense for Malik Nabers to potentially have that type of NFL production to match his fellow LSU greats. Expect Nabers to be one of the first receivers off the board.
Projection: Top 10
