Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. have been sensational this season.
The former LSU star wide receivers will wrap up their rookie seasons in the NFL this Sunday afternoon, and both can add to their historic and record-breaking years.
Nabers, selected with the No. 6 overall pick in the NFL Draft, enters the regular season finale with 104 receptions for 1,140 yards and six receiving touchdowns. The former Comeaux and Southside High star is coming off his best game as a pro as he hauled in seven catches for 171 yards and two touchdowns in a win last week, which helped the Giants snap a franchise-worst 10-game losing skid.
Despite missing two games due to a concussion, Nabers still smashed the Giants rookie reception record of 91 previously held by former LSU star Odell Beckham Jr. (2014) and tied by Saquon Barkley (2018).
Nabers can also set two more franchise records on Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles.
If he hauls in four passes, Nabers will break Steve Smith’s franchise record of 107 single-season receptions, set in 2009. If he also records 166 receiving yards, that would break Beckham’s rookie record for single-season yardage of 1,305, set in 2015.
Nabers put up these record numbers while catching passes from four different quarterbacks – Daniel Jones, Drew Lock, Tommy DeVito, and Tim Boyle. That made him just the third receiver since 2002 to catch passes from four different players while exceeding 100 receptions.
The other two were DeAndre Hopkins and Davante Adams.
Nabers also has 13 games this season with at least five receptions which surpassed Anquan Boldin (12 games in 2003) and Terry Glenn (12 in 1996) for the most games with five or more receptions by a rookie in NFL history.
Thomas Jr. meanwhile has had an even better season.
The Jacksonville Jaguars rookie wide receiver — who was selected with the No. 23 overall pick in the draft — has 80 receptions for 1,179 yards and 10 TDs. The receptions, yardage, and receiving touchdown are all new franchise records. Thomas Jr. also has the franchise record for yards after the catch with 536 yards.
Thomas Jr. also leads the 2024 Draft Class this season in yards and touchdowns.
Not only is Thomas one of the best rookie wide receivers in the NFL, but the former Tiger is having one of the best overall. He enters Sunday’s finale ranked fifth overall among all players in the league in yards and touchdowns, second in yards per catch, seventh in yards after catch, and second in 75-plus receiving yard games.
Thomas Jr. is also just the fourth rookie since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger with 1,100-plus yards receiving and 10-plus touchdowns receptions. The other players who accomplished that rare feat are Randy Moss, Odell Beckham Jr., and Ja’Marr Chase.
Thomas will have an opportunity to participate in the Pro Bowl Games in Orlando on February 2nd.
Thomas was voted as a first alternate for the AFC Team which means he will be the first player to replace any of the starters for the AFC. The four starters selected were Cincinnati’s Chase, Cleveland’s Jerry Jeudy, Houston’s Nico Collins, and Baltimore’s Zay Flowers.
Nabers meanwhile was tabbed as a second alternate in the NFC which means he needs two starters not taking part in the game. The four players voted as starters were Minnesota’s Justin Jefferson, Dallas’ CeeDee Lamb, Washington’s Terry McLaurin, and Detroit’s Amon-Ra St. Brown.
Nabers left LSU as the program’s all-time leader in receptions (189) and receiving yards (3,003) and accomplished the feat in three seasons. Nabers is one of two players in Tiger history to top the 3,000-yard mark in receiving yards, joining former Rayne High star Josh Reed (3,001 yards from 1999-2001).
In his three seasons at LSU, Thomas Jr. appeared in 38 games (27 starts) with 127 receptions for 1,897 yards and 24 receiving touchdowns.
Nabers and Thomas Jr. became the ninth and 10th Tiger wide receivers to be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft.