The similarities between Malik Nabers and Odell Beckham Jr. are astounding.
Both spent their college years at LSU. Both were drafted in the first round by the Giants and exploded onto the scene early in their rookie seasons. They're both outstanding athletes and gifted wide receivers, and there are similarities between their physical builds, as well.
It's not a coincidence, then, that Nabers has earned Beckham Jr. comparisons through the early games of his rookie season. Nabers and Beckham Jr. have connected in the past, and Nabers said on Kay Adams' podcast before that the two have a "pretty good relationship" and that he grew up idolizing Beckham Jr.
With the countless similarities between the two, here's a look at the stats comparing the two Giants wide receivers' rookie seasons, with Nabers' only being through Week 3 as he prepares to face the Cowboys on Thursday. With that, a comparison of their numbers while at LSU in college is included, plus the pre-draft scouting breakdown of each receiver's game.
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Malik Nabers stats 2024
It's early in Nabers' rookie season still — too early to project if he'll take home the Offensive Rookie of the Year award like Beckham Jr. did in 2014. Plus, with other talented rookies like Jayden Daniels, Caleb Williams, and Marvin Harrison Jr. making noise, too, there are a lot of early contenders for the award.
With that being said, Nabers looks like a legitimate NFL star through three games, even with more basic Week 1 numbers.
Below is a breakdown of Nabers' game-by-game and total stats through Week 3.
| Week | Opponent | Game result | Rec. | Targets | Rec. yards | AVG | TDs |
| 3 | Browns | W, 21-15 | 8 | 12 | 78 | 9.8 | 2 |
| 2 | Commanders | L, 21-18 | 10 | 18 | 127 | 12.7 | 1 |
| 1 | Vikings | L, 28-6 | 5 | 7 | 66 | 13.2 | 0 |
| TOTALS: | 23 | 37 | 271 | 11.8 | 3 |
Nabers' Week 3 performance included a pair of touchdowns, both of which came on impressive catches for the rookie.
Through three games, Nabers is averaging 7.7 receptions, 90.3 receiving yards, and one touchdown per game, numbers that can help compare his season so far to Beckham Jr.'s full rookie year in 2014.
MORE: How old is Malik Nabers?
Odell Beckham Jr. stats 2014
One of the most impressive parts about Beckham Jr.'s electric rookie season in 2014 was the fact that he missed the first four games of the year with a hamstring injury.
He didn't make his debut until Week 5, but he eventually won the Offensive Rookie of the Year award and became the fourth-ever NFL rookie receiver to break 1,300 receiving yards. He also made what's regarded as one of the best catches of all-time against the Cowboys with a one-handed grab while fading away out of bounds.
Beckham Jr. eventually went on to play for the Browns and Ravens, win a Super Bowl with the Rams, and, most recently, sign with the Dolphins while recovering from an injury. However, he's most well-known by NFL fans for his outstanding years in New York.
Here's a look at Beckham Jr.'s 2014 total rookie stats with the Giants.
| Games | Receptions | Targets | Rec. yards | AVG | TDs |
| 12 | 91 | 132 | 1,305 | 14.3 | 12 |
Because Nabers is only through Week 3, here's how Beckham Jr. fared in his first three games as a Giant:
| Week | Opponent | Game result | Rec. | Targets | Rec. yards | AVG | TDs |
| 7 | Cowboys | L, 31-21 | 4 | 6 | 34 | 8.5 | 2 |
| 6 | Eagles | L, 27-0 | 2 | 4 | 28 | 14.0 | 0 |
| 5 | Falcons | W, 30-20 | 4 | 5 | 44 | 11.0 | 1 |
| TOTALS: | 10 | 15 | 106 | 10.6 | 3 |
Surprisingly, Beckham Jr. got off to a somewhat slow start, at least by his standards, in his rookie season. After his delayed debut, he didn't break 100 receiving yards in a game until his fourth contest when he had eight catches for 156 yards against the Colts.
Nabers has the upper hand in the comparison between the pair of rookies' first three games, posting 13 more receptions and 165 more yards, but both had three touchdowns.
Over Beckham Jr.'s entire rookie year in 2014, he averaged 7.5 receptions, 108.8 receiving yards, and one touchdown per game. Stacking those numbers against Nabers' averages so far, they're tied in touchdowns per game. However, Nabers has more receptions per game, and Beckham Jr. had more receiving yards per game.
It remains to be seen if Nabers can put up the kind of absurd second-half numbers that Beckham Jr. did in his rookie season, but he's off to a terrific start.
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Malik Nabers, Odell Beckham Jr. LSU stats
Only adding to the similarities, both Nabers and Beckham Jr. spent three seasons at LSU. To get even more of a read on the comparison, here's a look at how Beckham Jr. fared with the Tigers from 2011-2013.
| Year | Receptions | Rec. yards | AVG | TDs |
| 2011 | 41 | 475 | 11.6 | 2 |
| 2012 | 43 | 713 | 16.6 | 2 |
| 2013 | 59 | 1,152 | 19.5 | 8 |
| TOTALS: | 143 | 2,340 | 16.4 | 12 |
Beckham Jr. was later drafted 12th overall by the Giants, the third wide receiver off the board behind Sammy Watkins and Mike Evans.
Here's a look at Nabers' LSU stats from 2021-2023, exactly 10 years after Beckham Jr. was with the program.
| Year | Receptions | Rec. yards | AVG | TDs |
| 2021 | 28 | 417 | 14.9 | 4 |
| 2022 | 72 | 1,017 | 14.1 | 3 |
| 2023 | 89 | 1,569 | 17.6 | 14 |
| TOTALS: | 189 | 3,003 | 15.9 | 21 |
After his monster junior season in 2023, Nabers clearly had the upper hand in collegiate stats compared to Beckham Jr.'s and was drafted sixth overall to New York, the second wide receiver off the board behind Harrison Jr.
Malik Nabers vs. Odell Beckham Jr. scouting comparison
Before the Giants faced the Browns in Week 3, Cleveland defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz acknowledged the many similarities between Nabers and Beckham Jr. Per the Akron Beach Journal, Schwartz spoke about how much Nabers reminds him of the former Giant.
"Just in the way he moves and his run-after-the-catch ability and things like that. They target him a lot when they’re looking for big plays," Schwartz said in the story. "And, also, they target him on some short passes that he’s been able to break tackles and things like that."
Both Nabers and Beckham Jr., while in his prime, are and were capable of virtually any route asked of them. They're both the guy the Giants have turned to in the red zone for a big play while also being reliable with their hands to pick up a first down when necessary.
Physically, they're also similar. In Nabers' NFL.com scouting report, he was listed at 6-0, 200 pounds. Beckham Jr., meanwhile, was listed at 5-foot-11, 198 pounds.
In those reports, Nabers was given an overall grade of 6.86, making him a "year 1 starter" by the site's grading standards. Beckham Jr., on the other hand, was given a 6.4 as a prospect, making him projected to "become good starter within two years."
In analyst Nolan Nawrocki's scouting report for Beckham Jr. in 2014, among his strengths were his competitiveness, quick hands, leaping ability, and burst as a runner. For Nabers, which was written by analyst Lance Zierlein, some of his strengths were his ability to change speeds, leaping ability, post-up talent against bigger corners, and his "gliding" movements.
While those prospect profiles can only provide so much information, especially with Beckham Jr. immediately blowing right past his "good starter within two years" projection, it gives some insight into the multi-talented receivers that Nabers and Beckham Jr. are.
The pair have a lot in common. And while those similarities are only growing as Nabers puts up big stats every week, he recently responded to Beckham Jr. through Instagram to tell him he won't be slowing down anytime soon.