2024 NFL Draft: X (Twitter) poll ranks Malik Nabers best WR prospect not named MHJ

While Marvin Harrison Jr. is a sure bet star in the NFL, the No. 2 ranked wide receiver entering the 2024 NFL Draft might be the most explosive.  That is why some NFL draft analysts have LSU star Malik Nabers predicted as the first receiver to come off the board.

That doesn’t mean Harrison isn’t the better prospect, it just means that Nabers and his game-breaking speed could be seen as more of an asset for a team in position to land one of the top receivers in the draft. 

In an NFL.com Mocks X (the social medial platform formerly known as Twitter) NFL Draft poll, we asked which prospect is the best wide receiver entering the draft (not named Harrison Jr.), and the results show Nabers is viewed as the top prospect ahead of Washington’s Rome Odunze and LSU teammate Brian Thomas Jr.

Those results are not surprising given that most view Nabers as a 1B to MHJ’s 1A ranking given his high production while at LSU. 

Top NFL Draft analysts wouldn't be shocked if Malik Nabers is the top receiver selected

What separates the two is that Nabers is not as polished as a route runner as Nabers, a weakness that top NFL Draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah sees as a reason he has Nabers as No. 3 behind Harrison Jr. and Odunze.  While admitting that was just his personal ranking, Jeremiah said in a X post that he would not be shocked if Nabers went off the board before MHJ.

He writes via X:

“I wouldn’t be shocked if Nabers ended up being the 1st WR off the board.  I love MHJ and Odunze but Nabers brings a different element.  It’ll come down to the preference of style, but I guarantee some teams will have Nabers at the top of the list.”

Does one of those teams include the Arizona Cardinals who hold the No. 4 overall pick in the NFL Draft and are in position to choose between Harrison Jr. and Nabers?  With a team like the Minnesota Vikings trying to move up into that No. 3 or No. 4 spot for a QB, it’s possible MHJ could slide down a bit as the top 6 picks in the NFL Draft could be quarterbacks.  That would leave Harrison Jr and Nabers as intriguing options for teams like the Los Angeles Chargers, Tennessee Titans, Atlanta Falcons and Chicago Bears. 

With his speed and run after the catch ability, Nabers is the style those teams may be aiming for over a stud like MHJ.  The Bears, who traded for veteran receiver Keenan Allen, would see Nabers as the perfect burner to compliment a bigger target like Allen.  But, with the No. 9 overall pick, its highly possible neither player will be there unless a team ahead of them favors Odunze.

As far as teams like the Cardinals and Chargers, the quarterback may be the deciding factor.  A smaller QB like Kyler Murray may benefit from a bigger target like MHJ while the Chargers would love to add a player with bolt lightning speed as a target for the big arm of Justin Herbert.

In all, Nabers is a WR1 option who can excel at all three levels as a wide receiver.  That versatility may be what NFL teams see as an advantage over MHJ, especially how he can break the ankles of defenders with his double moves and blazing speed.