Big Blue Huddle

https://x.com/Giants/status/1783847494658535752

https://x.com/PLeonardNYDN/status/1783847502204055740

https://x.com/RalphVacchiano/status/1783847542297444369

https://x.com/KevinGraySports/status/1783705819877392833

Hall of Famer Rondé Barber loved what the Giants and Jets did for their starting QBs in round 1 of the NFL Draft. He loved the aggressiveness of the Detroit Lions moving up for a top CB.

But as for that Michael Penix Jr. pick at no. 8 by the Falcons? Well, it's safe to say, not everyone was a winner Thursday night. Check out the full list of day one winners and losers.

https://www.the33rdteam.com/nfl-draft-round-1-winners-losers/

Media Q&A with Malik Nabers:

Q: Malik, congratulations. What was your reaction when you got picked by the Giants?

NABERS: Mix of emotions, I had my family there. It was a great opportunity for me to come to New York.

Q: How likely did you consider the Giants as a potential landing spot for you?

NABERS: It was very likely, I knew Dabs he conversed with a lot of my coaches, he really liked my game, he liked my dog mentality, so I'm glad he chose me.

Q: What kind of player are the Giants getting?

NABERS: A great teammate, a great leader, a great person on the field and off the field, and that's it.

Q: Have you heard from Daniel Jones yet?

NABERS: Not yet, but I'm sure I'll be hearing from him soon.

Q: What are your thoughts on having him throw the ball to you?

NABERS: I'm ready to get in, work with him, learn what kind of quarterback he is and catch footballs from him.

Q: Malik, Odell Beckham Jr. came from LSU in the first round, had a great career at the Giants. Do you have any relationship with him and what does it mean for you to follow in his footsteps.

NABERS: I don't have a relationship with him, but I'm just trying to be the best football player I can possibly be for the Giants organization. I'm not coming in trying to replace Odell, I'm just trying lead into my own legacy.

Q: What were your meetings with the Giants like? What was it like getting to know Brian Daboll?

NABERS: It was great meetings. He has a great personality, he makes people laugh that are in the room. He's going to compete with you for sure, he has high standards for his athletes. So I am hoping he has high standards for me and I live up to those.

Q: You said compete with you. Did you guys get into something during your meetings, or what were you guys competing about?

NABERS: He was talking about trying to guard me. He thought he could guard me.

Q: In basketball or trying to guard you on the football field?

NABERS: Football field.

Q: So you think your separation skills will really be put to the test against Brian Daboll in press coverage against you?

NABERS: Say that again.

Q: Never mind. It's okay. Did you get on the field with Brian Daboll at all and go at it with you or just talk?

NABERS: No, it was just all talk.

Q: What do you think of playing, coming to the New York area?

NABERS: I know it's a great city. I'm going to bring my family with me, bring God with me, bring the dog mentality that I have there.

Q: What do you think sets you apart from the other receivers in this class?

NABERS: I'm able to play different positions, create separation, open up a great window for the quarterback to throw me the ball. Great teammate. Great leader. All in all a great football player. Dog mentality when I'm out there on the field.

Q: What are you most excited about coming to New York?

NABERS: I'm excited to see the city, excited to be with my teammates and learn the offense, learn my quarterback, and just be in New York. I never been to New York, only been there once. Living there, I'm going to need some help.

Q: Being an SEC guy, do you know Jalin Hyatt at all?

NABERS: I sure do.

Q: What can you tell us about your relationship with him?

NABERS: We have built a relationship along the lines, I asked him a few questions about the organization when I was on the visit. Told me great things. Watched him when he was in college. Tremendous athlete. Amazing speed. Got hands. He was also a Biletnikoff winner, so you know it's going to be a lot of competition going on in that room. So I'm excited to get to know those guys, hit the field with those guys.

Q: When you were up here with your visit, did you cross paths with the other two receivers, with Harrison and Odunze?

NABERS: Yes, we were all at the meeting together.

Q: What was that like for you? And did you get a, kind of different sense here when you are kind of with other guys you know they're kind of measuring you up against?

NABERS: It was a great meeting with those guys. We got to know each other more closely. So that was it.

Q: You talk about the competitor you are. Were you a competitor that day?

NABERS: Yeah, I had to be. They were trying to see what guy they wanted to pick. There was competition in that room.

Q: What do you think this offense could be? The explosiveness you have now with the guys like you, Jalin Hyatt, Darius Slayton and Wan'Dale Robinson?

NABERS: I'm not sure. We're going to learn, they're going to learn me, they're going to learn how I play. I'm going to learn my teammates, learn the my offense and we'll see where it leads.

Q: I know you're only 20 years old, but how much more do you think there is to grow in your game?

NABERS: There's a lot more to grow. Especially I'm a young NFL person that's coming in. I have a lot to learn, a lot to learn how to be a pro, but coming in there finding those older guys that can guide me along the way.

Q: How eager are you to compete against Jayden Daniels, same division?

NABERS: Same division, me and Jayden? The competition with me and him will always be the same. We had a lot of competition going on in college when we were teammates. So the competition level is high between us, for sure.

JOE SCHOEN: We're excited to get Malik. He's a guy who's been on our radar for quite some time, explosive playmaker, can play multiple spots. Can separate and has run-after-the-catch, very good hands, very productive in a difficult conference, so before getting here tomorrow and then getting into the building a couple of weeks from now. Getting him in with the rest of the players in our culture and developing him and competing for his play time. With that we'll open up for questions.

Q: What made you — obviously you had the choice, Malik over Odunze?

JOE SCHOEN: We had a lot of meetings throughout the season and at the end of the day we just thought Malik's toughness, separation, speed — not that Rome doesn't have all those things; Rome is a very good player, too — just when it came down to it, what we were looking for, Malik checked a lot of those boxes — his person, his toughness, competes, his production, the versatility.

Q: Joe, there were quarterbacks on the board. First of all, how aggressive were you trying to trade up to get a quarterback?

JOE SCHOEN: I think I said last week we were going to have conversations in front of us. We actually had conversations behind us. There was an opportunity for us to move out of the pick. So we had conversations. We had different plans in place. And we're excited to have Malik Nabers here, so we're real happy with the way it worked out.

Q: There was a lot reporting that you were talking with the Patriots, specifically for the third pick. How serious did those talks get? Was there just a walk-away point where their ask was too high?

JOE SCHOEN: We had a lot of conversations with a lot of teams. I'm not going to get into specifics. We had a really good player at six that was a position that I think was a need that we needed to upgrade. I'm fired up about the kid.

Q: Have you gotten any texts from Daniel Jones about the pick?

JOE SCHOEN: He's fired up. I texted him Malik's number. That's one of the first things I did. And he's fired up about it. He knew before it was announced on ESPN and NFL Network.

Q: Brian, what does it mean for you to have that sort of, for lack of a better term, a number one type receiver?

BRIAN DABOLL: Look, I'm excited about Malik. He's a heck of a player. He's a fun guy to evaluate. Like Joe talked about, he's got quickness, explosive, good run after the catch. He's got a great mindset in terms of the competitive style he plays with. Played well in big games. Get him in the program, get him with the receivers and into the offense, and really looking forward to working with him.

Q: Joe, do you view the quarterback position as a high priority, your next pick is 47, or do you remain comfortable coming out of this draft without one?

JOE SCHOEN: I'm comfortable with where we're at.

Q: Do you believe you can find like a franchise quarterback at that point in the draft?

JOE SCHOEN: I'm excited about Malik. Whatever, I don't know what's going on out there right now, but I know a couple of quarterbacks just went. We'll look at all positions across the board. I said last week that we have multiple needs across the board and the team, and we'll continue to try to fill those throughout the draft.

Again, there could still be movement. We could get more picks. We could trade up. We've done that in the past. Again, we just got an electric wide receiver that's 20 years old, will be 21 end of July. My guys said he is the fourth youngest player we had on our entire board among the 450 players we have in certain ranges, but a young player that is electric and we're really fired up about acquiring him.

Q: Is there a point where he kind of stood out and popped to you throughout the process? Maybe it wasn't even this year.

JOE SCHOEN: Yeah, LSU, the amount of players they had, and our staff was able to see him play live several times. I've seen him two years in a row. I happened to be at the first game of the year versus Florida State, two years in a row. He's been on our radar.

He's a really good player. And we were at the pro day, we had him in on a 30 visit and went to dinner with him a couple different times. Getting around the kid, he's a great kid. He's super competitive. He's driven. And I'm excited about having him.

Q: How far did you guys — what does this do for Daniel? He's never really had a top tier receiver?

BRIAN DABOLL: We've got to get him in. He was obviously ultra productive at LSU. Made a ton of plays. I would say deep, intermediate, short. Be good to get him in here and get him acclimated to what we do. I know he's excited about it. We're excited to have him.

Q: Was he the top receiver on your board?

JOE SCHOEN: He was in the mix with multiple guys. We had a lot of guys that we liked that would fit in with the way we had them stacked. At the time we took him, he was the top receiver on our board.

Q: There was obviously an arrest at some point with him with a gun. The charges eventually dropped. But I'm assuming that wasn't a problem with you. And how did you guys go about looking into that?

JOE SCHOEN: We've got an extensive process in terms of background on these guys. And from watching it, we bring up the film, watched what happened. (Head of security) Jerry Meade does a phenomenal job for us. We have other resources that we reach out to and use, whether it's boots on the ground on the campus, in the cities, wherever it may be. We're very comfortable with the players we turn the card in on.

Q: Brian, at the combine, Malik talked about the meeting and just how much fun it was. You guys were joking around and doing this. Take me in the room there. Was it fun? Was he —

BRIAN DABOLL: I enjoyed those meetings. I love his personality. He's a very, very competitive young man. So it was good to sit down and kind of introduce ourselves and get him to introduce himself to us. He came here — he's a competitive guy. And I'm looking forward to working with him.

Q: How did you weigh McCarthy there versus Malik?

JOE SCHOEN: Malik was our guy. He was the guy we targeted. And we took him. There were other players on the board and we took him.

Q: How many times did you see him play in person last year?

JOE SCHOEN: Last year one time, saw LSU play.

Q: Joe, can you speak about Malik's toughness? I know he had the shoulder injury early in the season last year, but I don't believe he missed any games. Can you just talk about that?

JOE SCHOEN: That's legit, talking to the trainers and the medical staff, this guy didn't miss. Whatever it is, he's going to fight through it. He's tough, doesn't miss games, doesn't miss practice. If he can play, he's going to play. That's the way this kid is wired.

You'll see it, when you guys get around and see the way he practices and the way he plays on game day and see his highlights and you see some of the stuff he can do, whether it's with the ball in his hand, without the ball in his hand. When guys are wired like that, at his age, that's ingrained in him by then. That's who he is. Looking forward to bringing some of that toughness and explosiveness to the roster.

Q: How did you see him develop from when you first saw him?

JOE SCHOEN: He's been productive. He's had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons. He scored more touchdowns this year than he did the year before. But I think Jayden (Daniels) really elevated his game this year but he had scored in the past. But you saw a lot of the traits last year, he's a young kid.

When you evaluated him last year, you were evaluating a 19-year-old. This year, a 20-year-old kid. You see what some of these receivers are getting right now, APY. And you get a guy at his age where we got him in the draft and you're going to have cost control for five years. We're fired up about that.

Q: What stood out when you saw Malik in person?

JOE SCHOEN: I think at that position, the toughness. Some of the competitiveness, some of the best ones I've been around, they have that. It's going to be 20-some receivers taken between today and tomorrow and Saturday. What separates all the guys that are six-foot that are 200 pounds and run a 4.45, there's a bunch of them out there. To me it always goes back to grit, toughness, tenacity. You can't coach that. You can't teach that. I think this kid best illustrates it.

Q: This could be a very different night for Daniel. What did he say when you called him?

JOE SCHOEN: I shot him a text.

Q: When did you realize this was going to be the likely outcome, like at what pick? And did you know at that point or did you think that the Chargers, I know you kind of heard it a little bit, that they were going to take an offensive tackle there?

JOE SCHOEN: But you look at their roster, too, Mike Williams is gone and Keenan Allen is gone.

Q: I'm asking you, how confident were you that they were?

JOE SCHOEN: Again, that was part of the contingency plan. You have six names, and if all six go, you go to bed at night, whoever six was, and you're happy with it. When there's other contingency plans, when teams start calling, you can move back or you move up. So we had multiple plans against the whirlwind and Dabs rode it with me, we could do this, you're over-preparing for everything in all different situations. And we didn't know what the Chargers were going to do until we heard they took an offensive tackle. We were fired up.

Q: Other than the fact they're both from LSU, does this guy remind you at all of a young Odell?

BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, I'm not going to compare him to anybody. I think he's a fantastic player. He's got a lot of good attributes. Starting with his personality and demeanor, his competitive stamina. He's got some dog to him. Excited to work with him, he's his own person. He's got a lot to learn coming in. I started out my career working with the receivers and there's a lot to learn, but I know he will, and he's ready to jump on the opportunity.

The Giants added a blue-chip prospect last night, even though they were all the way down at 6.  Many say that Nabers was the best WR on the board, better than MHJ.   He was considered by many to be a top 3 prospect in this draft and has elite franchise WR ceiling (he beat OJB's college record).

Not only did the Giants add a great WR prospect to the team, his presence will boost the other WRs as the best CB and the defensive focus will be on Nabers which means all the other WRs will see lesser CBs covering them.


Regardless if you believe Jones or Lock is the Giants' long term answer, the team need to put in place an infrastructure to support the QB and drafting Nabers goes a long way towards creating that infrastructure

History says, at best, only half succeed.  So which 3 do you see being hits in their new situations

Bears and Williams

Commanders and Daniels

Pats and Maye

Atlanta and Penix

Vikings and JJ

Broncos and Bo

Malik Nabers All Targets and Catches 2023 Season



HIGHLIGHTS

NFL.com

2021: Freshman All-SEC Team. Played in 11 games with six starts (28-417-14.9, 4 TDs receiving; 4-23-5.8 rushing).
2022: Led the SEC with 72 receptions, ranked second with 1,017 receiving yards (14.1 per, 3 TDs; 1-5 rushing). Played in all 14 games with 11 starts.
2023: First-team Associated Press All-American. First-team All-SEC. Finalist for the Biletnikoff Award (nation's top WR). Ranked second in the FBS with 1,569 receiving yards (17.6 per), tied for third with 14 receiving TDs. Led SEC with 89 receptions. Started all 13 games. Set school record with 189 career receptions. Played the first half of the team's ReliaQuest Bowl win over Wisconsin to set the school record for career receiving yards (3,003 yards, beating Josh Reed), sat out the second half.

-- by Chad Reuter


Analysis
By Lance Zierlein
NFL Analyst
Draft Projection
Round 1

NFL Comparison
Justin Jefferson

Overview
Nabers is the next big thing coming out of LSU's receiver room, with the pure explosiveness and talent to be mentioned in the same breath as former LSU stars starring in the league today. Despite a lack of polish and precision as a route-runner, Nabers' gliding movements and speed alterations seem to disguise the top-end speed and separation potential that await opposing coverages. He's a bouncy leaper with the athletic ability to make the impossible catches possible. He tucks away accurate throws and displays the toughness and play strength to fight for tight-window victories over the middle. Nabers will need to address his tendency to track and play deep throws with finesse, or his early advantages will turn into 50/50 battles. He can play all three receiver spots and has the profile to become a productive, high-volume target over all three levels as a potential WR1.

Strengths
Skills and traits needed to produce effectively on all three levels as a pro.
Glides and burns past defenders deep or pushes them into retreat for easy stop routes.
Changes speeds inside the route to tilt defenders off the break point.
Good hand-fighting and post-up talent to win positioning battles against big corners.
Frames up defender to finish contested catches underneath.
Premium leaper with contortionist's talent for in-air adjustments on jump balls.
Catches off-frame balls with strong, sudden hands.
Has grab-and-go acceleration to catch it short and take it long.

Weaknesses
Runs free into big spaces but needs additional route schooling.
Inconsistent hip sink to snap routes off at crisp angles.
Would benefit from eliminating wasted motion in early phases of the route.
Lackadaisical to capture positioning and stack coverage behind him.

Sources Tell Us

"(Ja'Marr) Chase was more of a dude physically and (Justin) Jefferson was already really skilled when he came out, but you can see some flashes of both of those guys with the way [Nabers] plays." - AFC personnel executive

https://www.nfl.com/prospects/malik-nabers/32004e41-4240-0459-a77d-033b6932cbbb

Brugler

2. MALIK NABERS | LSU 6002 | 199 lbs. | 3JR Youngsville, La. (Southside) 7/28/2003 (age 20.74) #8
BACKGROUND: Malik Nabers, who has five sisters and one brother, was born and raised in Lafayette (an hour drive west of Baton Rouge). He grew up playing outside
with his friends (biking, skateboarding, etc.) and throwing the ball around, but he didn't play organized sports when he was young. When he started playing team
sports in middle school, baseball (centerfield and pitcher) was his initial go-to before he tried basketball and football. Nabers attended Ovey Comeaux High School in
Lafayette and played wide receiver, defensive back and returner on the freshman football team — it was during that time he started to take the sport more seriously
as a possible long-term option. He moved up to varsity as a sophomore and caught 17 passes for 438 yards and four touchdowns. However, his talent started to truly
blossom when he joined the Louisiana Bootleggers 15-and-under 7-on-7 team, coached by Donald Fusilier. That team went undefeated and won the 2019 7 -on-7
National Championship in Atlanta. Nabers followed that up with a sensational junior season at Comeaux, as he led all receivers in the state with 58 receptions for
1,223 yards and 21 touchdowns. After his mother moved to Youngsville prior to Nabers' senior year, he transferred to Southside High School but was ruled ineligible
— his former defensive coordinator at Comeaux was hired by Southside, and there was a rule in place forbidding players from fol lowing a coach to another school.
Nabers was forced to sit out the 2020 season and spent the year practicing on the scout team. Nevertheless, he was named an Under Armour All-American. Nabers
also lettered in basketball and track (sprints and relays), setting a personal best of 23.42 seconds in the 200 meters.
BACK TO TABLE OF CONTENTS 54
A four-star recruit, Nabers was the No. 39 wide receiver in the 2021 recruiting class and the No. 8 recruit in Louisiana (No. 4 rece iver in the state). After his 7-on-7
performance as a sophomore, his name spread like wildfire in the recruiting world (both as a wide receiver and defensive back). His first scholarship offer was from
nearby Lafayette. He then received his first SEC offer (Tennessee), followed by several national offers, like Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn State and Texas. Nabers
developed a close relationship with several coaches at Mississippi State and wanted to play in former head coach Mike Leach's Air Raid offense. He committed to the
Bulldogs on his 17th birthday (July 2020). On the same day that LSU played Mississippi State during the 2020 season, former LSU head coach Ed Orgeron called
Nabers and offered him a scholarship (Mississippi State won that game). He stayed committed to the Bulldogs but was on the fence about the decision. On signing
day, Nabers flipped to LSU and was the No. 13 recruit in Orgeron's 2021 class (his final class as head coach). Nabers enrolled at age 17, in the summer of 2021.
His uncle (Gabe) was an H-back at Florida State (2016-19), and he played for two seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers (2020-21) after going undrafted. Nabers'
cousin (Jordan Allen), who has been like a brother and best friend to Nabers since childhood, is a rising sophomore safety at LSU. Nabers took part in LSU's study
abroad program and spent 10 days in Senegal in May 2023. He elected to skip his senior season and declare for the 2024 NFL Draft.
YEAR (GP/GS) REC YDS AVG TD DROP NOTES
2021: (11/6) 28 417 14.9 4 6 Freshman All-SEC; Missed two games (left shoulder); Enrolled in May 2021
2022: (14/11) 72 1,017 14.1 3 4 Led SEC in receptions; Led team in receiving yards; 5-yard passing TD; Bowl game MVP
2023: (13/13) 89 1,569 18.0 14 5 Unanimous All-American; First Team All-SEC; Led SEC in receiving
Total: (38/30) 189 3,003 15.9 21 15
HT WT HAND ARM WING 40-YD 20-YD 10-YD VJ BJ SS 3C BP
COMBINE N/A (invited, but no measurements, skill drills or workout — choice)
PRO DAY 6002 199 9 7/8 31 3/8 76 1/8 4.38 2.54 1.56 42 10'9" - - 15 (no shuttle or 3-cone — choice)
STRENGTHS: Gliding athlete with the acceleration to separate early or late in the route ... reliable downfield target on seams, corners and posts ... skillfully settles his
feet to snap his breaks or draw corners out of phase ... had at least one catch of 20-plus yards in all 12 regular-season games in 2023, and explosive plays are his
weapon of choice (78.7 percentof his catches in 2023 resulted in a first down or touchdown) ... smoothly adjusts and frames the football away from his body ...
attacks the ball when working back to the quarterback ... credits his time as a baseball centerfielder for developing his rangy tracking skills ... average play strength,
but he maintains his focus in traffic ... has wiggle after the catch and consistently fights for extra yards ... experienced rout e runner, both inside and outside ...
functional blocker and has the tools to continue getting better ... took on more of a leadership role in the wide receiver room as a junior ... one of the youngest
players in the draft class (won't turn 21 until his first training camp) ... was a slot receiver when he arrived at LSU and learned how to work outside ... finished his
career as the most prolific wide receiver in LSU history ... led the SEC in catches each of the last two seasons and is only the second player in school history with
multiple 1,000-yard receiving seasons (joining Josh Reed).
WEAKNESSES: Average size and lacks ideal bulk (weight fluctuated between 195 and 205 pounds in college) ... play strength is adequate, but he will find a tougher
time outmuscling NFL corners ... relies on his body to finish grabs more than you'd like to see (five drops in 2023) ... minimal special-teams experience (returned two
punts in the 2022 season opener and muffed both) ... arrested on Bourbon Street in New Orleans (February 2023) for illegal carrying of a weapon (misdemeanor
charge was later dropped) ... injured his left shoulder as a freshman and missed two games (September 2021).
SUMMARY: A three-year starter at LSU, Nabers was the leading receiver in offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock's spread scheme, splitting his snaps 50-50 between
outside and the slot. Of all the talented wide receivers that have gone through Baton Rouge, Nabers stands alone in both catches (189) and receiving yards (3,003),
and in 2023 he led the FBS in receiving yards per game (120.7). An explosive play creator (led the FBS with 34 catches of 20-plus yards in 2023), Nabers uses his gliding
speed to consistently win on slot fades or one-on-one vertical routes. His favorite play in the playbook is the jet sweep (his 7-on-7 highlights from high school are
legendary). He also can win underneath as a snatch-and-run target and will continue to ascend as he develops his finishing skills and route discipline. Overall, Nabers
has only average size/strength, but he offers dynamic potential, because of his ability to accelerate/decelerate on command and always make himself available
with his athletic catch-point skills. He projects as a playmaking receiver in the NFL.


Greg Cosell

MALIK NABERS' 2024 NFL COMBINE RESULTS
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 200 lbs
40-Time: DNP (Did Not Participate)
10-Yard Split: DNP
Vertical: DNP
Broad Jump: DNP
3-Cone: DNP
Shuttle: DNP


STRENGTHS:
Extensive experience playing outside and the slot. Smooth, fluid route runner working out of both alignments.
Short-area quickness and burst to separate at the top of his route stem. Saw that laterally and vertically.
Showed route and separation quickness with a relatively refined and nuanced sense of route running.
He defeated press coverage with a short-area burst and physicality. Aggressive attacking press.
He has the good balance and body control to stop on a dime off his vertical stem and be in a position to make tough catches.
Showed a second gear on vertical routes to create separation from corners. Added burst with the ball in the air.
Aggressive with the ball in his hands. Strong run-after-catch traits with quickness and competitiveness.
2023 – Location versatile within the formation. Has shown he can line up in most wide receiver locations.
Had feel for dipping his shoulder with body lean to gain leverage and clear defensive backs. Did not lose stride.
Effective on slot fades, consistently getting on top of defensive backs. Short-area burst and accelerating speed.
Tape showed more reliance on physicality and toughness at top of route stem rather than lateral quickness.
Outstanding run-after-catch traits with a desirable combination of quickness burst and physical toughness.
WEAKNESSES:
While there were flashes of subtle suddenness, he is not purely explosive. Would not describe him as twitchy.
Inconsistent in his ability to separate and win vs. man coverage. Must improve as he develops.
Had too many drops on routine catches. Didn't sense hands were an issue, but that must be cleaned up.
2023 – Tape showed he relied almost exclusively on his physical ability to defeat press and run routes.
Did not see him show refined and subtle technique to manipulate corners through and at the top of the route stem.


NFL TRANSITION:
Nabers is one of the best wide receiver prospects in the 2024 draft class. After evaluating his 2022 and 2023 tape, I would rank him as the second-best prospect behind Marvin Harrison Jr. Nabers has extensive experience playing outside and the slot. His location versatility is a significant plus as you project and transition him to the NFL.

Nabers possesses a complete receiver skill set with high-level physical traits and outstanding competitive toughness. There were times he made me think of Deebo Samuel with his run-after-catch presence, aggressiveness and physicality. He worked all three levels of the defense effectively. He has a subtle and nuanced feel for route running with body leans and feints resulting in needed separation and the short-area burst and acceleration to run by and get on top of corners, especially on slot fades.

He has a second gear on vertical routes to create separation with the ball in the air, and he showed the body control and hands to make tough catches on the sideline and in the middle of the field.

One trait that Nabers possesses that is often overlooked is his body control to stop on a dime and present flat and friendly to the quarterback, sending the corner running by him.

Nabers aggressively attacked press coverage, and he defeated it with a desirable combination of short-area quickness, burst and physicality.

Overall, I believe Nabers is a high-level wide receiver prospect who can step in from Day 1 and be a starter and productive contributor, especially with his versatility to line up anywhere in the formation.

https://www.the33rdteam.com/malik-nabers-nfl-draft-2024-combine-results-scouting-report-for-lsu-wr/


Bob McGinn


2. MALIK NABERS, Louisiana State (6-0, 199, 4.44, 1): Third-year junior. "He's that all-around, well-polished, freakishly athletic individual," said one scout. "His traits just jump off the tape at you." His pro day workout included a 42-inch vertical jump and 10-9 broad jump. "I absolutely love watching Malik Nabers," a second scout said. "He's not your typical size for an 'X' but he has the speed, the separation, routes and hands. Where he separates himself is run after catch. That's what makes him such an exciting player. CeeDee Lamb is a little bit bigger; Nabers is more sudden and (has) better top-end speed." A third scout graded him on a par with Justin Jefferson, another LSU product. "He's powerful, he's explosive and he can win at every level of route running, which makes him special as a high-floor player," a fourth scout said. "He can run after the catch. He can run intermediate routes. He can track the deep ball." Started 30 of 38 games. Finished with 189 catches for 3,003 (15.9) and 21 TDs. "He's not Harrison," a fifth scout said. "If you see that just ignore it. He's more of the D.J. Moore kind of player. Thick running back build. He's a good player, a really good player. I don't think he has elite ball skills." From Youngsville, La. "He is what he is right now," said a sixth scout. "He's topped out. Against the Alabama corners his production all came against zone coverage over the middle. When he was manned up he struggled. But he has straight dog in him once he catches the ball."

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There will certainly be plenty of fuel for the glass-half-empty types.  The Giants are likely to pick either one of the two most polarizing QB prospects or neglect the QB issue and draft a WR (albeit a very promising prospect)

some interesting insights

https://www.giants.com/news/2024-nfl-draft-preview-joe-schoen-general-manager-draft-order

Here is his board of players he likes for the Giants

Greg Gabriel
@ggabefootball
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31m
Several good 3Tech players in this Draft. I can see clubs being able to draft a solid one into the third round

https://x.com/PLeonardNYDN/status/1783110887147975156




Pat Leonard
@PLeonardNYDN
What I can tell you about Michael Penix Jr. & #Giants:

1. Giants sent every critical person to Washington's pro day where they also had dinner with the Huskies QB

2. QB coach Shea Tierney worked with Penix Jr. on the field at both Senior Bowl AND NFL Combine, as well

3. Joe Schoen seemed to intimate last week that Giants were comfortable with Penix Jr.'s medical, indirectly noting that when a player responds well to surgeries and issues, that's a good indicator

4. Penix Jr. ultimately did NOT take a top 30 visit to the Giants. This could mean something, or nothing. Meeting ownership in some form a key component, though
8:33 AM · Apr 24, 2024
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488
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https://x.com/PLeonardNYDN/status/1783112049830064269

https://x.com/AdamSchefter/status/1783084094001172969

https://x.com/SharpFootball/status/1782833968993157205

CBS Sports NFL Draft Writer / Analyst

He did a nice job of it


https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1O5yo3uN3pCnOPvM9zE4FSONwbIg6i68uJrdD7pb0CXo/edit#gid=2053821055

I have listened to all the rumors and all the insiders.  This is the best I can discern when it comes to the Giants desires for round one.


1)  The Giants would like to draft a quarterback but on their terms.  In other words, for the right price, the Giants would move up to take a QB, or they would take one if he falls to six.

2)  Maye seems to be the quarterback the Giants have the most interest in.  JJ is another QB the Giants may have interest in, but it doesn't sound like he would be a trade-up target

3)  Failing to secure a QB, the Giants will sit at 6 and take the best WR on their board.  I have no idea how the Giants have stacked the 3 WRs prospects

Mike Lombardi talked about how there are only 12 first-round picks in this draft


Randy Mueller said that the talent drops off quickly on day three and that many day three picks will be no better than undrafted rookie free agents.

Those two issues will greatly impact how teams address this year's draft.

For example-  the 11th pick of the Vikings has good value, the 23rd pick, not so much

Late round picks will have less value in trades making it more difficult to engineer trades

Which first-round pick most surprised you as a Giants fan?

Which first-round pick did you most expect?

I seriously doubt this will move the needle, but at least it's original


https://www.theplayerstribune.com/posts/michael-penix-jr-nfl-draft-ncaa-football-university-of-washington

Theres a golden rule in #NFLDraft reporting not to buy into info you hear the last week, when misdirection is highest. Im breaking the rule.

After a bunch of calls since Thurs, I believe:
- Drake Maye is #Giants most likely QB pick of the top 4 (Not to say he's their No.1-ranked QB)
- I think they'd be willing to trade up for him but sounds like #Patriots and #Commanders arent moving
- I think they would strongly consider trading down if JJ McCarthy is there at 6 and #Broncos and #Vikings want to trade up. But he would be in play at 6 if offers not strong
- I'd still bet 4 QBs go in top 5 picks and so Giants end up with a great WR. Id then watch Bo Nix and Michael Penix Jr

@MoveTheSticks
 left NYG out of McCarthy team list and it caught my attention because so many people were in my ear about Giants and JJ since NFL Combine


https://x.com/rydunleavy/status/1782402697414488368

https://x.com/McShay13/status/1781040208009384369