Mel Kiper, Field Yates produce spirited debate over Rome Odunze vs Malik Nabers

On Wednesday, ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. unveiled his NFL mock draft 2.0. Kiper does have some stipulations on his mock drafts, such as no trades, essentially making the first four picks of this year’s draft all chalk. However, once they made it past those four, things got interesting, particularly for the New York Giants, who own the no. 6 pick.

The Giants need help at several positions, but where they need help the most is playmaking on the outside. New York has not had an elite-level wide receiver since parting ways with Odell Beckham Jr. in 2019. Since then, the Giants have been frantically looking for a viable replacement at wide receiver. And this year, they have a plethora of options to choose from, but Kiper has the G-men going with the top wide receiver out of the Pac-12 last season, Washington Huskies, Rome Odunze.

“Lets go with Rome Odunze. I made this call; it wasn’t my friends in the NFL because when I talked to everybody in the league, it was a split right down the middle: 50 percent said Nabers, 50 percent said Odunze. I’ve been an Odunze guy,” said Kiper.

According to Kiper, this pick is a toss-up for the Giants, but not in a bad way. In this 2.0 mock draft, New York will have to choose between Odunze and LSU star receiver Malik Nabers. And Kiper is riding with the Pac-12 standout.

“Rome Odunze, every week, was uncoverable, and it didn’t matter. Utah game, [he had] three catches, right? But he had a couple of touchdowns. Every other game, five catches or more. They would have that national title game if Michael Penix Jr. had been on target more to Rome Odunze. The Giants have to take one of those two receivers. Whether it’s Nabers or Odunze; you really can’t lose here.”

Matt Miller was also a part of the 2.0 mock draft special and agreed with Kiper’s projection of Odunze to the Giants at No. 6. But the same cannot be said for Field Yates.

Yates believes that Nabers is the best option for New York at No. 6 and added a bold claim to his stance on the former LSU wide receiver.

“You both got the right position but, once again, the wrong player. Let’s talk about Malik Nabers here for a second… I don’t think the gap between Marvin Harrison Jr. and Malik Nabers for the very top wide receiver in this class is that wide,” said Yates.

“Nabers is nipping on the heels of Marvin Harrison Jr. because he is the most explosive player in this entire class. I don’t know how fast this forty time is. It might be about a 4.28 – 4.32. That’s what kind of speed you see from Nabers, who, by the way, broke 27 tackles this past season. He breaks ankles left and right… and the way that he can stretch the field vertically, whether it’s from the slot, whether it’s out there on the perimeter totally changes the dimensions of this Giants passing game.”

“I love Rome Odunze. He is an absolute star; one of the top six players on my board as well. But Malik Nabers is too good to resist at the six spot.”

Harrison is the consensus top wide receiver in this year’s draft after taking home the Biletnikoff Award this season. And nearly everyone agrees that he will be the first wide receiver taken off the board with a top-five pick. But after that, it’s anybody’s guess who will be the next wideout selected. And for the Giants, it appears as if they can’t go wrong whether they take Odunze or Nabers at No. 6.