New York Giants great Hakeem Nicks recently compared rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers to a pair of elite pass-catchers in history.
Hakeem Nicks sees himself in Malik Nabers
Per Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post, Nicks touted Nabers as a wideout with big-play potential like that of Odell Beckham Jr. and one that he sees some of himself in:
“He [Nabers] kind of reminds me of myself, looking at his run-after-the-catch,” Nicks said. “Not one person is going to bring him down. He showed on his film that he can take a little slant and take it to the house, kind of Odell Beckham-style. LSU, they breed some good wide receivers down there. I’m happy with that pick.”
Nabers’ big gains can help him chart a course like Giants great Odell Beckham Jr.
Nabers was dynamic on the outside in his junior year at LSU in 2023. As Nicks attested to, the Giants’ No. 6 overall pick had one 50-yard gain on the year with his 51-yard reception against Army and at least one 40-plus yard gain in five other games. He also scored multiple touchdowns in five of the Tigers’ 12 contests.
Nabers is an elite yards-after-the-catch producer like Hakeem Nicks was
His explosiveness helped him pick up 589 yards after the catch, fueling him to finish as the No. 2-leading receiver in the FBS with 1,569 REC yards. If the 20-year-old talent looks anything like Nicks did to begin his NFL career, that would give New York a return on their investment. Nicks averaged 16.8 yards per reception in his 2009 rookie outing after getting taken No. 29 overall by the Giants and followed that up with the fourth-most receiving touchdowns (11) in 2010 behind his first of two 1,000-yard seasons (1,052 REC yards).
Resembling Beckham Jr. would give the Giants some of the best hands and breakaway potential in all of football. Nicks implored Nabers to focus on being the “best team player you can be” and continue doing what got him to this point. Nabers stands a great chance to fare well if he abides by those principles.