Malik Nabers, WR, LSU
Height: 6’0”
Weight: 200
Hand Size: N/A
40-Yard Dash: N/A
10-Yard Split: N/A
3-Cone: N/A
20-Yard Shuttle: N/A
Vertical: N/A
Broad Jump: N/A
Bench Press: N/A
Pros
- Very good long speed.
- Very good acceleration once he gets the ball in his hands.
- Shows patience running his routes.
- Displays inside-outside versatility.
- Great job finding the soft spot – especially on curls and intermediate crossers.
- Does a good job creating and finding space during the scramble drill.
- Good awareness of where the defense is to determine his move after the catch.
Cons
- Can become a non-factor playing against physical DBs.
- Needs to be better at high-pointing the football.
- A bit too comfortable catching with his body.
Notes
- Unanimous consensus All-American in 2023.
- Biletnikoff Award finalist in 2023.
- First Team All-SEC by coaches and AP in 2023.
Overview
One of the best wideouts in college football this year, Malik Nabers has become a prominent name in NFL Draft circles. A Biletnikoff finalist, Nabers has the possibility of being a top-ten pick come April. It’s a close race between the draft’s top WRs. Did he do enough during the season to come out on top?
Naber’s acceleration is one of the most notable traits of his game. From the line of scrimmage, he bursts forward to immediately gain ground, requiring DBs to play off to respect his speed. Along his routes, Nabers shows patience allowing defenses to create holes in which he can settle down in. This is seen especially on short curls and on intermediate routes over the middle. On broken plays, Nabers does a great job finding space which he attacks to be a reliable target for his QB. Besides this, Nabers shows great awareness of where defenses might be closing in from as he always seems to know his next move to evade oncoming defenders. Because of this, Nabers possesses inside-outside versatility and is a tremendous YAC threat.
Still, Nabers has shown the ability to become a non-factor when playing against physical DBs. When catching through traffic especially, he gets too comfortable letting the ball come to him trying to catch it with his body. Down the field also, Nabers doesn’t do a great job high-pointing the football due to his reluctance to trust his hands in practice and inability to contort his body should he need to adjust mid-air.
Nevertheless, Nabers will be one of the top receivers selected on draft night. While he can always work on better high-pointing the football, he’s a natural YAC threat who necessitates having the ball in his hands whether it be through screens, jet sweeps, or shots downfield.
My Two Cents
The growth Nabers has shown last year to this year has been tremendous. Disappointing last season, Nabers has finally shown evaluators why he’s one of the best receivers in college football. While I don’t think he’s a better prospect than Odunze or Harrison, I think a great selection range for him would be seven through twelve. I don’t know if he can be a true WR1 for an NFL team, but he can for sure be one of the best WR2s in the game.
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