It’s about whether you prefer the player with the higher ceiling or the better fit

The New York Giants have tried to find a true No. 1 wide receiver since Odell Beckham Jr. was traded to the Cleveland Browns before the 2019 NFL Draft. The team has had one winning season since then, and just three since Super Bowl XLVI.

Darren Waller was Joe Schoen’s attempt to give the offense a No. 1 passing threat to compliment Saquon Barkley on the ground while complicating defensive strategy on the opposite side of the football. It’s safe to say the plan did not transpire as one would have liked.

New York now possesses the sixth overall pick in a draft cycle with four possible top-five quarterbacks and three blue-chip wide receivers. It seemed unlikely a few weeks ago, but there’s a realistic shot that Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. will be available at six. Before the 2022 pre-draft cycle, those covering the draft would have found the idea of Kayvon Thibodeaux falling to five far-fetched. If all three receivers are available, Harrison Jr. would be my first choice.

LSU’s Malik Nabers and Washington’s Rome Odunze are two receivers linked to the Giants. Both are different types of players that offer different styles. Nabers’ burst is a sight; he should change his NFL number to 4 and give himself the nickname “C-4” because of his explosiveness.

Odunze doesn’t possess Nabers’ twitch, but he’s a smooth-operating - technically proficient - route runner who is one of the best-contested catch receivers to enter the NFL. Odunze is fluid for his size and a more imposing presence than Nabers. Let’s compare and contrast the two players.

Malik Nabers, LSU

Nabers did no measurements, drills or workouts at the NFL Scouting Combine but performed at his pro day, unlike Harrison Jr. Here are the results from his pro day:

Height: 6002
Weight: 199 pounds
Hand: 9 ⅞ inches
Arm: 31 ⅜ inches
Wingspan: 76 ⅛ inches
40-yard dash: 4.38
10-yard split: 1.56
20-yard Shuttle: 2.54
Vertical jump: 42 inches
Broad jump: 10 feet, 9 inches
Bench press: 15 reps

In three seasons at LSU, Nabers caught 190 of 275 career targets (69.1%) for 3,015 yards and 21 touchdowns. He secured 89 of 128 passes for 1,568 yards and 14 touchdowns with a very high 17.6 yards per catch in 2023.

Nabers is one of only two players in LSU history with back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, which he accomplished over his final two collegiate seasons. Malik Nabers’ 3,003 yards surpassed Josh Reed’s record for most career receiving yards in LSU history.

Pro Football Focus graded Nabers as the top wide receiver in offensive score and by RECV (a grade for pass routes). He also ranked third overall in yards per route run at 3.64 (of players that received 20% of the team’s targets). He was named a unanimous All-American.

Nabers aligned across the offensive formation. 56.4% of his collegiate snaps were in the slot, and 43% were out wide; he also took snaps from the backfield.

Strengths

• Solid overall size
• Excellent fluid athlete with rare burst - definitely has bounce to him
• Excellent lower body explosiveness allows him to elevate and make high-point catches
• Has breakaway speed with rare acceleration - lightning-fast second gear
• Balanced and controlled athlete
• Possesses excellent agility and COD
• Lightning quick feet
• Evasive release - uses lateral burst to explode around jam
• Burst superiority allowed this to be successful in college
• Burst + dipped shoulder (flexibility)
• Rare squirt/burst release to create separation to the outside
• Can quickly create separation at the LOS
• Excellent route running upside - good use of micromovements to remain deceptive
• Quick and efficient on double moves - sells very well
• Showed ability to tempo routes well when necessary
• Highlight reel concentration and tracking ability
• Excellent spatial awareness to find the voids in zone or to work the sideline
• Man coverage nightmare up his stem
• Elite processing in the scramble drill to open throwing windows for his QB
• Short-area athletic ability, feet, and ability to quickly drop his weight and reaccelerate proved difficult for CBs to handle up his stem
• Quickly stops on a dime and presents his chest to the QB with full momentum on curls/comebacks
• Dominated on slot fades down in the red zone
• Does a phenomenal job adjusting to passes in his general orbit
• Is quick to adjust and give himself a realistic shot of hauling in inaccurate passes
• Excellent catcher of the football - can pluck away from his frame
• Soft hands that corral the football as he promptly gets north when necessary
• Solid strength through contact - can make catches in traffic over MOF
• Difficult for DBs to get their hands on directly after the catch - slippery from a stagnant position
• Stronger than one would think after the catch
• Runs through arm tackles and pin-balls off tackle attempts
• Frequently makes the first man miss or force that defender to create a rally tackle - not easy to locate and bring down
• Aligns all over the offensive formation
• Is a three-level impact receiver
• Solid overall blocker - will continue to push into contact
• Adjusts his blocks well when the ballcarrier bounces outside

Weaknesses

• Solid, but not elite-sized
• Length is sub-optimal
• Lightning quick feet and lateral agility allowed him to defeat press, but a more developed release package would not hurt his game
• Would frequently opt to run around the jam vs. press rather than using his hands to mitigate the defender’s use of force; NFL DBs are likely to try and dictate at the LOS more aggressively
• Can iron out and maximize his skill set with more crisp/consistent routes
• Had 15 career drops - mostly concentration
• Not bad in contested catch situations, but wasn’t physically dominant either
• Arrested on Bourbon Street in New Orleans for illegal carrying of a weapon (charge was later dropped)

Nabers is a wildly agile route runner with elite flexibility and burst—a nightmare to guard in 1-on-1 situations. Everything Nabers does on the football field is sudden: his movements/release, how he can quickly explode out of his micro-movements to tie up defensive backs, and even how he secures passes and quickly finds the advantageous path to create yards after catch. Few receivers possess his level of twitch, with his bend/fluidity that allows him to sell or disguise breaks/cuts. His ability to keep cornerbacks guessing is one of the many reasons why he’s being discussed as a top-five pick.

Nabers is outstanding at creating yards after the catch, and he has the home run ability to take a slant for six - similar to former LSU Tiger Odell Beckham Jr. - but there’s still plenty of meat on the bone of development for Nabers as a route runner. His route-running upside is immense for several reasons, but I wouldn’t say he’s consistently maximizing the leverage he creates or can create. He doesn’t always stack after winning with his lateral release method, and he sometimes rounds his breaks; it’s not the biggest deal, but it can be cleaned up.

His infrequency of battling press coverage with hands and physicality was tested against Arkansas in 2023. It didn’t matter much, as Nabers caught 8 passes for 130 yards with 2 touchdowns, but there was a coaching point for Arkansas to get on Nabers quickly at the line of scrimmage. Nabers also caught two curl passes while being harassed up his stem against Arkansas’ press. Despite this success, he has to prove and develop ways to defeat more physical press cornerbacks.

Nabers may lack a physically domineering element to his craft, but he’s not weak at the catch point, nor is he someone who falls upon contact. Nabers is annoying to bring down to the ground; surprisingly solid contact balance is combined with immediate acceleration that allowed him to rank in the top 10 of all college receivers in yards after catch (589 yards).

Nabers would be the wide receiver 1 in many draft classes. Some argue that he is in this draft class. He’s a well-coordinated receiver who glides when accelerating and effortlessly adjusts to balls within his orbit. He’s smart, can create separation against any coverage, makes highlight catches and does the dirty work over the middle of the field. He has a very bright future in the NFL.

Rome Odunze, Washington

Odunze caught 214 of 328 passes (65.2%) for 3,271 yards and 24 touchdowns, averaging 15.3 yards per catch. He averaged 17.8 yards per catch in 2023 by securing 92 of 140 targets for 1,639 yards with 13 touchdowns.

Odunze was the catalyst on a talented offense for quarterback Michael Penix Jr. He caught 65.7% of his 140 targets in 2023, with an outstanding 75% contested catch rate (21 of 28). He mostly aligned out wide (81.8% in 2023) but took 23.9% of his snaps from the slot throughout his collegiate career - Washington tried him as a big slot in 2021. He ranked 20th in 2023 with 2.93 yards per route run (of WRs who received 20% of the team’s targets). Odunze had 17.8 yards per reception and a 15.5 aDot (average depth of target). He forced 15 missed tackles in 2023 and had 514 total yards after the catch.

Odunze was a CSC Academic All-American and earned a First-Team All-American selection through several large media companies while also being a First-Team All-Pac 12 selection. His 92 receptions ranked second-most in Washington’s history, just two catches shy of Reggie Williams’ record. Reports raved about the positive impression Odunze left in the meeting rooms with teams at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine.

Strengths

• Excellent combination of size, frame, and athletic ability
• Uniquely fluid for a man of his size - solid agility
• Fluidity, feet, and hands allow him to have sudden releases off the LOS + immediate separation on fade/slant
• Solid suddenness/feet to win and stack vs. press - solid overall release package
• Quickly turns and orients his body in a controlled & balanced manner with built-up speed (Very few receivers can do this as well as him at his size)
• Sudden burst out of his breaks within 5 yards of LOS
• Good overall route runner
• Good diversity in his route tree -
• Quickly accelerates off the LOS into the cushion of defenders that are off-angles himself to establish leverage pre-break - long stridder
• Works into DBs blindspot up stem to sell vertical before curl/comeback
• Elite tracking and concentration, elite ability when deep - late hands
• Exceptional body control when airborne - elevation skills for days!
• Creates space in tight coverage through positioning/hand usage
• Caused a lot of defensive holding/DPIs
• Excellent job fighting through contact before the catch point and giving himself a realistic shot to haul in the pass
• Attacks the football - great hands catcher
• Will be a mismatch WR against smaller CBs - a playmaking talent
• Wildly impressive extension and sticky fingers near the SL to haul in passes
• Sensational contested catch ability - caught 75% of his CCs in 2023
• Can make catches against tight man coverage
• Excellent overall spatial awareness
• Strong hands at the catch point - maximizes his 52nd percentile wingspan
• Vacuum of footballs that enter his orbit
• Elite back shoulder and fade weapon - rare ability in 1v1 situation
• Insane double move - fluidity for his size
• Secures football through contact - physical receiver
• Solid overall ability to create yards after the catch
• Shows functional foot quickness/lateral agility to make first man miss
• Good overall play strength to shed poor tackling attempts by CBs
• Good and willing blocker
• A team captain with, reportedly, elite intangibles
• Smart, tough, and dependable

Weaknesses

• Controlled athlete - not overly explosive or sudden when changing direction
• Long speed isn’t a difference-making trait
• Functional acceleration out of his breaks, but not one consistent with a top-10 WR
• Not bad feet, but could improve efficiency consistency when releasing off the LOS
• May struggle to consistently separate against quality NFL CBs
• Not bad with YAC, but I was left wanting more from a contact balance standpoint
• Was stripped a few times and lost fumbles (3)
• Tackled easier than expected

Odunze has prototype X size and is a smooth mover that plays in a balanced/controlled manner. He has the concentration of a premier baseball hitter - bats .400! His ability to track, locate, flash late hands, adjust his body, and secure catches at their highest point while shielding the catch point from defenders is elite; it’s not a surprise he caught 75% of his contested catches in 2023. There are few wide receivers in college who possess his kind of body control and adjustment ability in tight spaces.

His route tree is diverse, and he displayed advanced processing up his route stem on the vertical plane, consistently working into defenders’ blindspots to establish leverage and create consternation. He’s also very fluid for his size and can bend, sink his hips, and lean up his stem with a smooth, gliding, pace that allows him to create separation at the college level.

Still, he’s not exceptionally explosive out of his breaks (for a WR being discussed this high), nor does he possess a second gear, which leads to questions about his consistency with creating separation against top cornerbacks in the NFL. Even having run a 4.45 40-yard dash, these questions are fair. However, I would contend his combination of route savvy, physicality, and his defining trait — dominating 1-on-1 situations — along with functional short-area quickness quells my qualms. The strength in his hands and the ability to extend away from his already large frame are other important reasons to appreciate Odunze’s skill set.

Penix Jr. could have thrown a jump ball into a tall, contested phone booth and Odunze would have found a way to catch it. The reported intangibles, combined with his smart, tough, and dependable play style, draw very realistic connections to the New York Giants, making Odunze the new face of their offense early in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Final verdict

There’s merit to adding both of these players, and I won’t be upset if either is donning Giants’ blue. There’s a rational argument for each side. The argument for Nabers is predicated on his game-breaking explosive talent. The Giants are one of the worst teams in the NFL at creating explosive plays on offense. Even in their 2022 playoff victory season, they ranked last in the NFL in offensive explosive plays - it’s a problem.

Nabers has a slant-and-go ability to break the angles of defensive backs and create chunk yardage plays with little to no risk on the quarterback’s end. He can take a short pass to the house and win at each level of the field. There are elements of Nabers’ game that Odunze can’t replicate.

However, Odunze is a better compliment for the Giants’ current roster. He would be the true “X” on the outside, with a combination of Wan’Dale Robinson, Jalin Hyatt, and Darius Slayton occupying the slot and “Z” roles. Furthermore, Odunze is a more commanding and demanding presence on the field.

Having a receiver on the roster who can “go get it” is valuable, and that fits Odunze’s play style much more than Nabers. Odunze can also create explosive plays with that play style, for he can secure passes 40 yards downfield better than Nabers, albeit the quarterback has to have time and confidence to throw the ball.

I have no inside knowledge of the players’ personalities, so it’s difficult to opine on conjecture, but the gun charge for Nabers paints a negative image, although it could be more trivial than it sounds - I don’t know. However, the importance of the right person is paramount, and I expect the Giants to do their due diligence on that front.

I have a higher grade on Nabers, not by much, but higher nonetheless. Nabers is just 20 years old (turns 21 in training camp). Odunze will be 22 at the start of the season. My play-style concerns with Nabers have been slightly alleviated over the last half-decade in the NFL.

Nabers is stronger than he looks after the catch with better yards after catch ability than Odunze. Still, his overall play strength is not to Odunze’s level. However, receivers like DeVonta Smith and Garrett Wilson have thrived in the NFL while having play-strength concerns entering the draft. Both those players are a bit more polished than Nabers, but Nabers isn’t raw.

I love Odunze's strength, especially when combined with his baseline athletic traits. His concentration and body adjustment, combined with his savvy route-running ability and overall leadership profile, make him a perfect replacement as the face of the once-renowned Giants franchise, with Saquon Barkley now wearing green. The trio of Odunze, Hyatt, and Robinson give the Giants varying body types and profiles that allow the offensive play caller more options against specific defensive looks and certain defensive situations. Nabers has a higher ceiling, and I rarely go against the ceiling, but I am going with Odunze for the Giants.