Update: *Malik Nabers* is the Best LSU Receiver Prospect Ever

When I wrote the same about Ja’Marr Chase it was true, but what if someone did even more?

It’s not crazy to say it. Yes, Ja’Marr Chase has become the most recent shining example of a rare WR prospect, but despite this, WRU has done it again. Malik Nabers is at or above that level.

This isn’t to dunk on Chase, but it’s a necessary reminder while he was a sensational prospect, he wasn’t necessarily the Connor McDavid, LeBron James, or Peyton Manning of receivers. There’s no questioning Chase’s dominance at LSU, but he relied more on physicality and contested catches than you typically expect to see translate, he didn’t get as consistently open as you’d like. Now, he was young and able to get away with that due to the same raw talent that made him such a desirable prospect and eventually NFL player, but he wasn’t necessarily perfect beyond any comparison.

When you examine the landscape of analyst (and league, per reports) opinion this year, I’m far from alone in thinking this highly of LSU’s all-time leading receiver. Some teams and analysts even have Malik ahead of Marvin Harrison Jr, who I think is the best receiver prospect since Calvin Johnson or Julio Jones (and do have ahead of Nabers). The Athletic’s Dane Brugler, author of “The Beast,” (and my favorite draft analyst), stated that “Nabers would have been my No. 1 overall prospect in each of the last two draft classes.” Nabers is slated to go within the top 6-7 picks despite the possibility of FOUR QBs being taken in the top 5 and a loaded tackle class. In a piece by The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman, an anonymous NFL WR coach said that…

In the same piece, an offensive assistant was quoted saying (a touch dramatically even for my tastes):

None of this is what formed my opinion (in fact, the Feldman piece came out after I started drafting this), but it’s important to understand that I’m not necessarily any higher on him than anybody else. I’m not saying anything unusual.

So how did Nabers jump Chase to me? Versatility. While Ja’Marr Chase is great, he isn’t exactly positionless. Chase is a bully, he’s fast, he’s explosive, but he isn’t the same caliber receiver wherever he lines up. Nabers is.

With Malik, let’s put it this way…There is discourse that a strong, 6’0, 200-pound receiver with good length, 4.35 speed, and generational acceleration is too slot-oriented. That’s the profile of a prototypical outside field stretcher, yet he’s so good with his quickness, YAC, and feel for space in the middle of the field that they’ve become his defining characteristics. Think of it like a pitcher with overpowering 99 MPH heat being known most for his 82 MPH curveball.

In my opinion, the receiver position is shifting to be more positionless, and the more positionless you are, the more defense-proof you are. If somebody is substantially better on the outside than they are in the slot, defenses can simply take away the outsides and lessen the threat of that player (either they stay outside and get covered, or move to the slot and get worse). We see this with the Bengals. They move Chase into the slot sometimes to try to get him touches, but he just isn’t the same there, he’s still very good, but it takes away his superpowers. The best receivers can be funneled the ball to no matter what the defense does. When you watch guys like Tyreek Hill, Justin Jefferson, or Davante Adams, who have both the speed/explosiveness to play outside and the feel for space/quickness to work the middle, they can be constantly moved around with no drop-off in aptitude. Unless you’re willing to stick a jersey-number designated double on them every snap (which limits your coverages considerably elsewhere), there’s no way to account for a player who can go everywhere and do everything.

Historically, “slot-only” guys have been dinged as prospects, but I’m starting to apply something a bit similar to “outside-only” or even “outside-mostly” guys.

Ja’Marr Chase is Aquaman, incredibly powerful, but much more powerful in one place than another. Malik Nabers is Superman.

The Arsenal

So what are Malik Nabers’ superpowers? They all start with his movement skills. A complete mover, Nabers pairs his top-line speed with sharp, full-speed change-of-direction, quick feet, and instant acceleration. As a result, he’s hard to track, even despite some room for growth as a route technician. He doesn’t necessarily need to mess with timing because he gets himself open by simply being able to change direction faster than you can, like Tyreek Hill.

In The Middle

On this over-sail, you can see the ability to make sharp breaks while at full speed, moving as if he were on a track. This makes it not only hard for defenders to keep up, but impossible for them to close and recover on the route.

Nabers’ route control allows him to make efficient breaks, making him uncoverable on in-breakers, which he keeps square and sharp. In the era of 2-high coverages, in-breakers are becoming the best way to get your best receivers the ball. Nabers’ speed will keep safeties deep, opening space in the middle behind the linebackers.

Like a speed-rusher off the edge, he turns the tightest corners, which allows him to stay on his path and get around defender leverage. Here the slot defender is tasked with taking away the outside and funneling to the safety, but Nabers breaks his leverage by getting vertical positioning and cutting a completely flat break to the sideline around him.

Of all the attributes that make him a gifted separator, his quickness is the most overpowering. He has elite-of-the-elite agility, which makes him a weapon on the short-area, change-of-direction stuff that defines the slot position like the choice route above. He has the option to break inside or outside off the leverage. The defender has outside leverage so he takes the inside break. The key to defending choice routes in space is to stay even, react, and close on the direction the receiver breaks. Nabers’ suddenness makes it impossible for any defender in this situation to do that in time. Ja’Marr Chase is quick, but he doesn’t quite have this kind of springy agility.

On the Outside

First and foremost for an outside receiver is long-speed/explosiveness, and the ability to threaten vertically. His sudden acceleration and burst are elite, making double moves devastating for defenders even with a cushion.

However, in order to even access that skill, you have to be able to get off the line and play through contact. This is the one area of Nabers’ game that isn’t top of the line, but it’s still more than serviceable. He is a full 6’0, 200, and while that isn’t huge, it’s bigger than a lot of receivers who have come out in recent years. He’s big enough to handle physical DBs. He’s shown the ability to make contested catches and has the kind of nastiness to him that helps when the game gets physical, even when he’s getting interfered with and held like above.

Not only do I think Nabers is great on the outside, but I think, despite his heavy usage in the slot, that his natural spot is on the outside. He is just too explosive. Watch him win on his release and blow by the S, (who is one of the best in recent CFB memory), that’s bracketing him high and inside. You can’t even double him. Players who can do this are built to play outside.

After the Catch

The same things that get him open are the things that make him the best threat after the catch in the class. This attribute was the focal point of LSU’s passing game, with the bulk designed to get him the ball on the move. You can see this in action in the 2nd clip. LSU’s running “snag” with a sprint-out by the QB. The idea is to get the defense flowing hard to the playside, allowing Nabers to catch the ball and turn away from the flow into space.

The Path Forward

Malik Nabers unfortunately doesn’t have the most exciting of possible landing spots, with the Giants, Cardinals, and Patriots (if the latter two trade down) as his most likely destinations. The Chargers would be fun with Herbert, but they haven’t been mentioned much with WRs despite an obvious need. Regardless, he is a player whose every attribute is a strength. He is a high-floor, higher-ceiling asset that will instantly change the passing game of the franchise that turns in his card.