The 2024 scouting combine is right around the corner, which means that it’s time to take a more critical and detailed look at this year’s draft prospects. With that in mind, we here at Touchdown Wire are doing as many thumbnail scouting reports as possible before the combine gets going on February 29. We will of course be doing more comprehensive reports before the draft, but here’s a good starting point.
Nest up is LSU receiver Malik Nabers, who absolutely torched the field in his third season with the Tigers. Nabers caught 89 balls on 128 targets for 1,568 yards and 14 touchdowns. On passes of 20 or more air yards from Jayden Daniels, who may have been the NCAA’s best deep thrower in the 2023 season, Nabers had 19 catches on 29 targets for 624 yards and nine touchdowns, and his NFL team could give him even more deep-ball volume, depending on the offense. Nabers primarily ran go, seam, and hitch routes in 2023, but he’s got enough tape doing other things to point to route versatility, which will be of paramount importance for any receiver with his explosive profile.
If you’re looking for the next great speed receiver in the Tyreek Hill mold, you might have to wait in line for this guy.
PLUSES
— Legit home run speed to any area of the field; can just as easily run by a cornerback for 60 yards as he can turn a hitch or stop route into a 50-yard touchdown
— Leans into his route stems subtly and professionally and doesn’t lose a lot of speed when doing so
— Unafraid to catch the ball in traffic; he’ll get the grimy yards after the catch
— Changes the geometry of the defense; your safeties are playing back nervously
MINUSES
— Not a blocker of note, but that’s not why you want him on the field
— Could work to expand his catch radius; he’s more capable of getting the ball clean and turning it into a car chase
— Focus and timing drops are notable enough for it to be a small coaching point at the NFL level
— 50/50 balls are about 50/50; he’s not your ideal contested-catch target
The combination of pure speed and route understanding could have Nabers as the top WR in this class. If Marvin Harrison Jr. is No. 1, Nabers is 1A for his own special reasons.
Malik Nabers, WR, LSU
PLUSES
— Legit home run speed to any area of the field; can just as easily run by a cornerback for 60 yards as he can turn a hitch or stop route into a 50-yard touchdown
— Leans into his route stems subtly and professionally and doesn't lost a lot of… pic.twitter.com/y66uFwnb8L— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) February 22, 2024
