LSU Country

LSU Football: Jayden Daniels, Malik Nabers Projected Top 10 NFL Draft Picks

The Athletic's Dan Brugler released his first 2024 Mock Draft, has the pair of Tigers among Top 10 selections.

Zack Nagy

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The Jayden Daniels-Malik Nabers connection took America by storm during the 2023 season with the pair of LSU Tigers rewriting the record books. 

For Daniels, he's established himself as a Heisman Trophy candidate after totaling over 5,000 total yards and 50 touchdowns this year, but he didn't do it alone.

The Davey O'Brien finalist was accompanied by star wide receiver Malik Nabers, his top weapon over the last two years.

Now, Nabers has inserted his name as a projected Top 10 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

The Athletic's Dan Brugler has released his first 2024 Mock Draft with the dynamic duo sitting atop the list.

Here's where Brugler has the pair of Tigers listed and his overall thoughts:

Jayden Daniels' Stock Rising: No. 7 Overall to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

Daniels entered the year with several question marks, and after lighting up the SEC each week, seemingly every question has been answered. 

As LSU navigated its way through the 2023 season, Daniels sat around the second round in most mock drafts, but his status has certainly changed over the last three weeks.

Brugler has Daniels going No. 7 overall to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in his Mock Draft 1.0. 

“Plenty will change between now and April, but this is still an interesting exercise at this point in the draft calendar,” Brugler wrote. “The picks don’t reflect my personal rankings or what I would do, but rather this projection strictly goes by what I think teams would do if the draft was tomorrow.

“This mock reflects the updated draft order and does not include any trades. (I also included the first picks on Day 2 for teams that currently don’t have a first-round selection.)”

The Bucs are an organization in need of a dynamic signal-caller to come in and give them "hope" in a weak NFC South. For Daniels, he meets the criteria. 

“Offensively and defensively, the Buccaneers are a middle-of-the-road team, and they’ll have several interesting roster decisions to make this offseason,” Brugler said. “For one, Tampa Bay will be in the mix to select this draft’s QB3, and Daniels could be it. He has a dynamic skill set to create explosive plays with his arm and legs.

“At the beginning of the season, I wouldn’t have guessed that Daniels would appear in the top 10 of my first mock draft. But in studying his tape and seeing his continual improvements, you start to run out of reasons why he doesn’t belong. I think several teams slotted in the top 10 will think the same way.”

Malik Nabers Remains a Top Wideout Option: No. 6 Overall to the New York Giants

Nabers entered the 2023 season as a player many circled as a first round draft selection and boy did he live up to the hype. 

On his way to breaking LSU's all-time receptions record, and on pace to break the all-time receiving yards record in the bowl game, Nabers checked off every box he had in Year 3.

Now, the Biletnikoff Finalist is on his way to being selected near the top of the first round.

In Brugler's Mock Draft 1.0, he has Nabers selected No. 6 overall by the New York Giants.

“Over the past month, I think Nabers separated himself for several teams as WR2 in this draft,” Brugler siad. “The only FBS pass catcher with 1,500-plus receiving yards in 2023, he also leads the country with 34 receptions of 20-plus yards. The only other college receiver with that many explosive catches over the last five years? Another LSU receiver, Ja’Marr Chase, who had 34 in 2019.

“The Giants obviously still have high hopes for Jalin Hyatt and Wan’Dale Robinson, but adding Nabers gives the offense a legitimate No. 1 threat.”

Per LSU Release: Nabers has had a record-setting year, leading the nation in receiving yards with 1,546 and ranked No. 2 nationally in receiving touchdowns with 14. He’s had nine games with at least 100-yards receiving, which includes a career-best 239 yards and two touchdowns on 13 catches in a win over Mississippi State.

Nabers has been the nation’s top receiver when it comes to big plays as he leads the country in plays of 20-plus yards (34) and 30-plus yards (34). He also has seven plays of 40-plus yards. 

Nabers has totaled 186 receptions for 2,980 yards and 21 touchdowns during his three year stint in Baton Rouge. 

The Tigers' WR1 is just 22 yards away from breaking LSU's receiving yards record. LSU great Josh Reed sits at No. 1 with 3,001 yards, but Nabers is ready to cement his legacy in Baton Rouge.

After coming up short of the record against Texas A&M, Nabers confirmed he will play in the Tigers' bowl game in order to reach the milestone.

“That record hasn’t been broken in over 20 years and whoever has the opportunity, I feel like they would want to do the same,” Nabers said. “I came here to play with a chip on my shoulder. Didn’t care who I was playing, how many games we had left. I never left my team out there to dry so this record is mine to break.”

It's no secret Daniels and Nabers put the country on notice after a standout 2023 campaign with NFL Draft experts acknowledging the lethal duo. 

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Zack Nagy
ZACK NAGY

Zack Nagy is the Managing Editor and Publisher of LSU Country, a Sports Illustrated Publication. Nagy has covered Tiger Football, Basketball, Baseball and Recruiting, looking to keep readers updated on anything and everything involving LSU athletics. 

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