Getty Image / John Korduner
The NFL Draft is now less than three weeks away, and talk around the draft’s top prospects is heating up. One of those top prospects is LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers.
Malik Nabers has established himself as one of the top wide receiver prospects in the draft class at arguably its deepest position. On the field, he’s the complete package and should be a top target for a lucky team for years to come.
But, according to NFL Draft analyst Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda, teams are worried about off-field issues for the talented wideout.
“The LSU junior is known as a high-maintenance prospect who may struggle in a big city. There are off-the-field questions Nabers has had to answer to during the draft process, and teams must feel comfortable with those answers if they’re going to invest an early draft pick and millions of dollars in his services,” Pauline wrote.
It’s unclear where exactly Pauline is getting this information or how much stock NFL teams are putting into this. But, those are certainly the kinds of things NFL teams want to know about prospects they might invest a top-ten pick in.
It would be hard to see Nabers sliding out of the top ten, and he could end up in the top five. The junior is silky smooth, great after the catch, runs great routes, and has great hands.
In most draft classes, he would be the consensus top wide receiver prospect on the board. But, this is no ordinary crop of wide receivers. Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. has long been considered the best wide receiver in the class. Plus, Washington’s Rome Odunze is another wideout that is projected to be a true number one in the NFL.
Malik Nabers had a huge 2023 while catching passes from Heisman Trophy winner and projected top-ten pick, Jaylen Daniels. He had 89 catches for 1,569 yards and 15 touchdowns. Nabers also went over 1,000 yards in his sophomore season.
The NFL Draft is April 25-27 in Detroit, Michigan.