As we head down the stretch run toward the 2024 NFL Draft, LSU's Malik Nabers has been gaining steam as potentially the first wide receiver to come off the board. For most of the pre-draft process, Ohio State's Marvin Harrison Jr. was seen to be earmarked to be WR1, but Nabers has been surging. The most recent example comes this week with two teams inside the top five of the draft set to meet with the Tigers star.
The Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Chargers are set to host Nabers for pre-draft visits, per NFL Media. Nabers is set to meet with the Cardinals on Tuesday and then head to L.A. for his visit with the Chargers on Wednesday. The 20-year-old had previously met with the New York Giants before his pro day, so the teams with the No. 4, No. 5 and No. 6 overall picks are all set to get an up-close look at the pass catcher.
Nabers' measurables compare similarly to fellow LSU phenom and current Bengals superstar Ja'Marr Chase. They are both 6 feet tall and weigh roughly 200 pounds. Nabers ran a 4.35 40-yard dash, while Chase logged a 4.38. They also had similar board jumps and verticals. For the Tigers last season, the All-American caught 89 balls for 1,569 yards and 14 touchdowns in 13 games.
As Nabers starts to garner plenty of interest across the NFL, let's dive into a handful of top landing spots.
Arizona Cardinals
With the first three picks likely quarterbacks, Arizona is the first realistic landing spot for Nabers at No. 4 overall. The Cardinals certainly have a need at the position, especially after they saw Marquise Brown depart for the Chiefs in free agency. Nabers would come in and almost instantly commander the lion's share of targets from Kyler Murray.
Los Angeles Chargers
Both the Chargers and Cardinals could look to trade out of their respective top-five picks with several teams looking to move up for a QB. If L.A. holds, however, Nabers makes a ton of sense at No. 5. Due to cap constraints, the team essentially gutted its wide receiver room by releasing Mike Williams and trading Keenan Allen to the Bears. When you add in running back Austin Ekeler leaving in free agency, the team has lost its top three pass catchers. Nabers being paired with Justin Hebert would produce a constant flow of top-10 highlights.
New York Giants
The Giants are in an interesting spot as they could conceivably go quarterback at No. 6. If they don't, however, the franchise has had a gaping hole at wide receiver for what feels like eternity. Nabers would give Daniel Jones a top-flight target and sit atop a young core of receivers, including Jalin Hyatt and Wan'Dale Robinson.
New York Jets
The No. 10 overall pick feels like the floor for Nabers at this point. New York is all in on trying to make the Aaron Rodgers era as productive as it could be and adding a talent like Nabers in the fold opposite of Garrett Wilson would send the offense to a different stratosphere.
