When the Los Angeles Chargers were on the clock at No. 5 in the 2024 NFL Draft, the choice seemed clear: protect Justin Herbert or give him a dynamic new weapon. They chose the former, drafting Notre Dame tackle Joe Alt and passing on LSU star Malik Nabers—who went one pick later to the New York Giants.
At the time, plenty of fans questioned the decision. A year later, our colleague Jason Reed over at Bolt Beat made the case the Chargers were absolutely right to pass on Nabers. He points to Alt’s excellent rookie campaign and Nabers’ outspoken personality as reasons why L.A. dodged a bullet.
That outspoken personality went viral for his comments on Carmelo Anthony's podcast:
“We (wide receivers) all feel the same way. We don’t like not getting the ball," Nabers said on 7PM in Brooklyn with Carmelo Anthony. "You told me I was going to get the ball. I’m getting open and I’m not getting that pill. We’ve got a problem."
While the message was loud and clear, we respectfully disagree the Chargers look better for passing on Nabers.
If Malik Nabers is a “problem,” then every top WR in the league is too
Let’s get one thing straight: Joe Alt had, by all means, a phenomenal rookie year. The guy was thrown into the fire and held up impressively. The Chargers found a legitimate starting right tackle and solidified their offensive line. No notes there.
But passing on Malik Nabers? That’s not some no-brainer win just because he said he wants the ball. Nabers didn’t say anything outrageous. He said the quiet part out loud—the part nearly every elite receiver in this league has echoed at one point or another. And for that, he’s being framed as a locker room risk?
Here’s a short list—and there are more—of current WRs who’ve publicly said at one point they want more touches:
- Ja'Marr Chase, Bengals
- Justin Jefferson, Vikings
- A.J. Brown, Eagles
- Ceedee Lamb, Cowboys
- Tyreek Hill, Dolphins
That’s five of the top receivers in football, all known for being competitive, emotional, and driven to dominate. It's practically a rite of passage to ask for the ball.
Nabers isn’t the problem. He’s just honest about what everyone already knows—when your best player is open, you throw him the ball. Especially when he just put together one of the most electric rookie seasons in NFL history.
109 catches. 1,204 yards. Seven touchdowns. A Giants rookie record for receptions. More receptions than any rookie wide receiver in NFL history. And he did it while catching passes from Daniel Jones, Drew Lock, and Tommy DeVito.
Meanwhile, Alt was a really good right tackle. Not left tackle. Not skill position. A right tackle. Important? Absolutely. But let’s not pretend like he singlehandedly transformed the Chargers offense. Nabers made the Giants watchable. That’s a much, much, much bigger feat.
Even Pro Football Focus had Nabers ranked as the No. 3 overall rookie in the league last year—ahead of Alt, who came in at No. 12. And PFF doesn’t care about narratives—just production.
Yes, fellow rookie receiver Ladd McConkey had a strong rookie year and looks like a great fit in L.A. But if the thinking is “The Chargers didn’t need Malik Nabers because they ended up with McConkey,” then we’re blurring the line between results and process.
Landing a productive receiver in Round 2 is awesome—but that’s not a reason to pass on elite talent at No. 5. You don’t skip on a potential All-Pro because things might break your way later. That’s not how teams operate in real time. McConkey may prove to be a long-term answer, but at the time of the pick, Nabers was the kind of difference-maker teams spend years trying to find.
Calling out the push to overhype Joe Alt at right tackle—as if that was somehow better than drafting the best receiver in the 2024 class—is fair game. If the Bolts didn’t think Nabers was a culture fit, that’s fine. That’s a front office decision. But let’s not pretend it was about football. Malik Nabers has already proven he can carry an offense. He’s just making sure everyone else knows it too.
He's already proven he can carry the offense. Speaking up about it doesn’t make him a problem, it just makes him brutally honest.