Ex-Giants lineman Justin Pugh sees Odell Beckham Jr when watching Malik Nabers play: 'Exactly the same for me'

Same alma matter. Same circular successful the NFL Draft. Same uniform. 

When erstwhile New York Giants violative lineman Justin Pugh looks astatine what Malik Nabers has done implicit 3 weeks, helium cannot assistance but comparison him to an ex-teammate of Big Blue: Odell Beckham Jr. 

"It’s precisely the aforesaid for me," Pugh told Fox News Digital. "You look astatine Odell’s rookie twelvemonth and however helium caught the league connected fire. We virtually threw him slants, and helium won america games. The Giants tin bash that this twelvemonth with Malik Nabers."

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New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers, #1, celebrates aft catching a touchdown during the archetypal fractional against the Cleveland Browns astatine Huntington Bank Field. (Ken Blaze-Imagn Images)

When the Giants took Nabers with the sixth wide prime successful this year's Draft, the anticipation was that helium would rapidly make into the fig 1 receiver the squad has been searching for since Beckham was traded to the Cleveland Browns earlier the 2019 season. 

After conscionable 3 games, wherever Nabers has 23 receptions for 271 yards with 3 touchdowns, Pugh believes yet different LSU receiver has cemented himself arsenic a No. 1 receiving enactment for an NFL team. 

"LSU, whatever’s successful the water, we request to vessel it and conscionable telephone it ‘Receiver Water’ and each subordinate should portion it," helium said, laughing. "He’s a certified No. 1 [receiver]. It changes the dynamics of an offense. If you don’t person a No. 1 receiver – look astatine the Philadephia Eagles. Down A.J. Brown the past mates weeks, and they’ve scraped by successful getting immoderate wins.

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"[Nabers] tin spell retired determination and big-body somebody, spell implicit the top. When Malik Nabers made that 50/50 grab, instantly I went to the Odell catch. This is his coming-out party."

Nabers was captious successful the GIants taking down the Cleveland Browns successful Week 3 to unafraid their archetypal triumph of the season, arsenic helium hauled successful 8 of his 12 targets from Daniel Jones with 2 touchdowns, including a highlight-reel leap-and-grab with the toed pat decorativeness successful the backmost near of the extremity zone. 

Nabers has been compared to different receivers from the Tigers' program, similar Cincinnati Bengals prima Ja'Marr Chase and Minnesota Vikings do-it-all wideout Justin Jefferson.

However, Beckham is the lone 1 who knows the unit New York City tin enactment connected immoderate nonrecreational athlete. At times, the larger-than-life prima that Beckham became aft bursting retired for 1,305 yards successful conscionable 13 games during his rookie play was not pretty. 

The kicking nett incident, ESPN interrogation with Lil' Wayne and much are remembered conscionable arsenic overmuch arsenic his celebrated one-handed drawback against the Dallas Cowboys. 

"Now comes the hard part: You’re successful New York City, you’re a star. How bash you woody with it?" Pugh questioned. "That volition marque oregon interruption his career, due to the fact that you look astatine Odell, it astir got to the constituent wherever Odell got truthful large that [former Giants GM] Dave Gettleman didn’t privation him there. I privation Odell finished his vocation with the Giants due to the fact that helium was connected this historical pace, they shipped him retired of municipality and they ne'er replaced him. They tried to and they missed. 

"Hopefully this each works retired for Malik, and I deliberation it will."

New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers, #1, celebrates his touchdown with teammates against the Cleveland Browns during the 2nd 4th astatine Huntington Bank Field. (Scott Galvin-Imagn Images)

Pugh is not definite Nabers' stardom volition beryllium arsenic large arsenic Beckham's, conscionable due to the fact that helium looks astatine his aged teammate arsenic being successful the "perfect storm" with the blonde, curly hairdo and exuberant property to spell with the superstar accomplishment acceptable helium possessed. In fact, Pugh said Nabers should link with Beckham if helium does scope that level, due to the fact that helium volition person nary proposal for that. 

However, helium did connection a lengthy connection astir what helium would bash if helium was successful his shoes. 

"What I would accidental for Malik is don’t get excessively high, don’t get excessively low," Pugh began. "So, arsenic overmuch arsenic this stinks, you astir apt request to enactment successful much than you would want. Stay successful the location a small spot more, let’s get done the play and past bask yourself successful the offseason. That’s erstwhile I’m going to archer you to chopped it loose, spell bash immoderate you privation to do. Go unrecorded it up, spell to the Met Gala oregon immoderate lawsuit is going connected successful New York City. But I impulse you to fastener successful erstwhile it’s clip to fastener successful for gametime, and that’s thing that is going to beryllium hard to do. You earned a clump of money, he’s the astir celebrated feline astir apt successful New York close present for each the close reasons. Aaron Judge, obviously, and there’s guys successful different sports and different teams, but I deliberation he’s going to beryllium the sanction we speech astir each play long. 

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"It’s a slippery slope. I’m an violative lineman, and I tin archer you it’s a slippery slope due to the fact that you privation to spell out, you privation to spell to each these events. Everybody is telling you however large you are, and it tin spell antagonistic rapidly and he’s going to person to spell done those downs. Take your lumps, larn from them, and past conscionable proceed to beryllium a pro."

Pugh joked that helium would fto Nabers enactment retired until midnight, though helium prefers 10 p.m.; however, the world is the rookie has rapidly go the focal constituent of Giants success, arsenic helium intelligibly looks similar idiosyncratic worthy the No. 6 pick.

While Pugh continues to ticker Nabers and the Giants, helium is inactive looking for his adjacent accidental successful the league, arsenic helium is not retired and is staying successful crippled signifier successful lawsuit a squad comes calling. 

That squad could beryllium the Giants aft that happened successful 2023, erstwhile the decimated enactment needed Pugh to get successful the gathering and extremity up playing aggregate enactment positions, including near tackle for the injured Andrew Thomas. 

New York Giants defender Justin Pugh, #67, connected the tract earlier the crippled against the New York Jets astatine MetLife Stadium. (Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports)

In the meantime, though, Pugh has been successful the sports contented space, arsenic he's attending every "Thursday Night Football" game, spending 24 hours arsenic a diehard instrumentality of each squad hosting, which has already included the Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins and New York Jets. 

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Pugh volition beryllium backmost astatine MetLife Stadium connected Thursday, wherever helium volition ticker Nabers successful his archetypal primetime crippled arsenic the Giants instrumentality connected the Cowboys. 

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