Malik Nabers NFL Draft 2024: Scouting Report for New York Giants WR

HEIGHT: 6'0"

WEIGHT: 200

HAND: N/A

ARM: N/A

WINGSPAN: N/A

40-YARD DASH: 4.35

3-CONE: N/A

SHUTTLE: N/A

VERTICAL: 42"

BROAD: 10'9"

POSITIVES

— Very good burst and explosiveness.

— Great acceleration and long speed. True deep threat.

— Very good YAC threat. High-end athlete with natural vision.

— Quick, flexible route-runner. Can sink and burst out of route breaks with ease.

— Good ball-tracking skills. Can track the ball down the field as well as outside his frame.

NEGATIVES

— Release package needs work. Too often wastes time and doesn't get upfield.

— Inconsistent when attacking the ball in traffic. Does not reliably win the ball through contact.

— Can struggle to play in the air and contort his body to find the ball.

2023 STATISTICS

— 13 G, 89 REC, 1,569 YDS (17.6 AVG), 14 TD; 1 ATT, 1 YD (1.0 AVG), 0 TD

NOTES

— Born July 28, 2003

— 4-star recruit in 2021, per 247Sports

— Two-year starter

— 2021 Freshman All-SEC

OVERALL

Malik Nabers is an explosive play waiting to happen.

A 6'0", 200-pound receiver, Nabers plays all over the place for LSU. He plays both as the X and as the Z, as well as in the slot at times. His average build and well-rounded athletic profile let him thrive from anywhere.

Regardless of alignment, Nabers is at his best when stretching the field. He can go from 0-60 in a heartbeat, and there aren't many defensive backs who can go step for step with him once he's at top speed. Nabers is a menace on go routes, slot fades, posts, etc.

You also see Nabers consistently dominate on curl routes, dig routes, and hinge routes—all routes that allow him to threaten the DB vertically before breaking. Nabers can snap off routes with quick, snappy footwork and fly out of his breaks with ease.

Once he has the ball, Nabers is dangerous. The instant burst when he becomes a ball-carrier is terrifying. On top of that, Nabers plays with natural vision in the open field and above-average contact balance for a receiver.

As for areas of improvement, Nabers needs to clean up his releases off the line of scrimmage. He too often wastes steps early in the route and doesn't get upfield with each step as much as he could. That's especially true when he faces press coverage.

Nabers also isn't a reliable ball-winner right now. He's excellent at tracking the ball as a vertical threat and reaching for passes outside his frame, but he does not consistently win in traffic or in the air. Nabers needs to show a little bit more aggression and strength when playing for the ball through contact.

Overall, it's easy to see how Nabers could make an instant impact in the NFL. His combination of speed, quickness and yards-after-the-catch skills will translate into explosive plays right away. Nabers can be a twitchy, field-stretching Z from day one with the potential to grow into a more well-rounded player.

GRADE: 8.8 (Impact Player — 1st Round)

OVERALL RANK: 8

POSITION RANK: WR3

PRO COMPARISON: Supercharged Torrey Smith

Written by B/R NFL Scout Derrik Klassen

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