5 amazing stats to know about Malik Nabers

Nabers is an explosive playmaker who racks up yardage going deep. He was among the best deep-receiving threats in this year’s draft class, totaling 624 yards (third-most in the draft class) and nine touchdowns on 20+ yard targets in 2023. Nabers received 29 deep targets (second-most in the draft class), hauling in 19 of them, including 5/8 on contested catch targets. His 97.8 deep receiving grade ranked No. 1 among all wide receivers in the draft class, per Pro Football Focus.

Nabers ran a blazing-fast 40-yard dash: 4.35s

Nabers did not participate in drills at this year’s NFL Scouting Combine. However, he did all the drills at LSU’s Pro Day, turning heads and wowing scouts with his incredible athleticism. He reportedly ran a 4.35s 40-yard dash at the event. If Nabers ran at the NFL Scouting Combine, his reported 40-time would have ranked fourth among all wide receivers.

Nabers is a tackle-breaking machine: 30 forced missed tackles in 2023

One of the calling cards of Nabers’s game is his ability to make plays with the ball in his hands. After the catch, Nabers is a threat to turn any play into a big one. He racked up 589 yards after the catch in 2023, averaging 6.6 yards after the catch per reception.

Nabers forced 30 missed tackles and totaled 303 yards after contact in 2023, ranking in the top six among qualified FBS wide receivers, per PFF. He forced 0.31 missed tackles per reception in his career, ranking in the 99th percentile.

Nabers ranked first in PFF’s most valuable wide receiver metric: 3.64 yards per route run

In 2023, Nabers averaged 3.64 yards per route run, according to PFF. This is considered one of the publication’s most valuable advanced metrics.

According to the website, “PFF’s yards per route run metric divides a player’s receiving yards total by the number of routes they ran, providing a better indicator of production than yards per reception or even yards per target.”

The Giants have an elite man-coverage beater: Nabers posted 2.78 YPRR vs man-coverage

The Giants desperately needed a wide receiver who could line up against cornerbacks and beat them one-on-one. They have that now with Nabers, who dominated his competition in man coverage during his collegiate career.

Nabers averaged 0.16 first downs per route versus man coverage which ranked third among all wide receivers in college since 2018 (h/t Football Insights). He ranked fourth among all wide receivers from both this year’s and last year’s draft classes with 2.78 yards per route run against man coverage.

The Giants will rely on Nabers to create separation and easy passing opportunities for the quarterback in 2024. His ability to break free against man coverage will make him a tough matchup for opposing defenses at the next level. The Giants’ offense should improve overnight with the addition of Nabers.