John LeuzziUSA TODAY NETWORK
Malik Nabers is set to join an elite class of LSU wide receivers — including, among others, Justin Jefferson and Ja'marr Chase — to go from Baton Rouge to the NFL. And with the 2024 NFL Draft just days away, the only remaining uncertainty left is where Nabers will actually end up.
Nabers, who is LSU's career leader in receptions and yards, tore up the gridiron this season for the Tigers: He finished with career-high numbers in yards (1,569), receptions (89) and touchdowns (14) in 2023. He finished second, 11th and third in each of those respective categories among those stats in all of college football.
His high-level production this season helped raise his NFL draft stock to be one of the top wide receivers and overall players in this year's draft class. Several NFL draft analysts have gone back and forth in recent weeks — and months — debating who is the better wide receiver: Nabers, or Marvin Harrison Jr. from Ohio State. Time will only tell in answering that debate.
MORE: Watch the 2024 NFL Draft with Fubo (free trial)
Regardless, he will look to continue that type of production in the NFL, where he is a projected top-10 pick in this week's NFL draft, which starts at 7 p.m. CT Thursday from Detroit.
Here's what you need to know about where Nabers is projected to go in the 2024 NFL Draft along with which NFL team he best fits with along with a scouting report:
Where will LSU's Malik Nabers go in 2024 NFL Draft?
Here's where NFL draft analysts have Nabers going in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft:
USA Today: Round 1, No. 6 overall to New York Giants
John Mara has given Big Blue brass the green light to make a bold move for a quarterback if there's one to leadership's liking. Regardless of whether the team actually pursues that route, there's a clear mandate to waken a dormant passing attack. The electric Nabers can do exactly that for a receiving corps that could lose tight end Darren Waller, who is still mulling retirement.
NFL Network's Peter Schrager: Round 1, No. 9 overall to Indianapolis Colts (projected trade with Chicago Bears)
Indianapolis sends Chicago a future second-round pick in order to move up six slots and pounce on Nabers, the star receiver out of LSU. In an AFC South that saw the Jaguars, Texans and Titans all aggressively attack free agency, Colts GM Chris Ballard shows he has some tricks up his sleeve, too.
NFL Network's Dan Parr: Round 1, No. 6 overall to New York Giants
The Giants elect to run it back with Daniel Jones as the QB1, but they finally find him a lifeline in the form of a true No. 1 receiver. Some rate Nabers as the top pass catcher in this year’s draft.
CBS Sports' Ryan Wilson: Round 1, No. 4 overall to Arizona Cardinals
I've had Malik Nabers and Marvin Harrison Jr. closely graded throughout the draft process, but after Nabers' impressive pro-day numbers, I'm giving him the slightest of edges here. Both receivers are special.
CBS Sports' Josh Edwards: Round 1, No. 5 overall to Los Angeles Chargers
New York gets a No. 1 wide receiver to pair with Wan'Dale Robinson and Jalin Hyatt. Malik Nabers could be the first wide receiver off the board, the second or the third. It really depends on which teams are there to pick those players and what they want out of the position.
CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones: Round 1, No. 6 overall to New York Giants
Next week the Giants could absolutely draft a quarterback with this pick and I wouldn't blink. In this mock, they get who many in the league believe to be the best wide receiver in the draft.
The Athletic: Round 1, No. 6 overall to the New York Giants
I think the Giants will examine their trade-up options for a quarterback, but in this scenario, they stay put and add the true premier weapon they have been missing. Nabers would have been my No. 1 overall prospect in each of the last two draft classes.
- ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr.: Round 1, No. 6 overall to the New York Giants
- ESPN's Field Yates: Round 1, No. 6 overall to New York Giants
Mailk Nabers scouting report
Here's a scouting report fromUSA TODAY's Draft Wire on Nabers:
"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. ... 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."
Click here to read more of Nabers' scouting report.
Malik Nabers' best 2024 NFL Draft fit
Here's what USA TODAY Sports' Michael Middlehurt-Schwartz believes is the best fit for Nabers:
"John Mara has given Big Blue brass the green light to make a bold move for a quarterback if there's one to leadership's liking. Regardless of whether the team actually pursues that route, there's a clear mandate to waken a dormant passing attack. The electric Nabers can do exactly that for a receiving corps that could lose tight end Darren Waller, who is still mulling retirement."
The projection:New York Giants
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