BEREA — The comparison was right there for Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. Even as he acknowledged the incredibly limited sample size, he couldn't help but see a different wide receiver when he watched New York Giants rookie Malik Nabers.

“It’s two games, so small sample size, but I don’t know if anybody else sees the comparison, but he reminds me a lot of Odell Beckham (Jr.)," Schwartz said this week. "Just in the way he moves and his run-after-the-catch ability and things like that. They target him a lot when they’re looking for big plays. And, also, they target him on some short passes that he’s been able to break tackles and things like that."

Schwartz isn't the first one to see similarities between the current Giants wide receiver phenom and the former Giants — and one-time Browns — wide receiver phenom. It's just that Nabers is front of mind for the Browns this week as they prepare to defend him in Sunday's home game.

There's a whole lot to the comparison. There's the fact that, physically, Nabers, the No. 6 overall pick in April's draft, is 6-foot, 200 pounds, only an inch taller than the 5-11, 200-pound Beckham.

There's the obvious stylistic comparison to their games. As much as they're capable of being a threat to make a big play, it's as likely to happen by taking a slant 70 yards than by simply running past a cornerback on a go route.

"First of all speed," safety Grant Delpit said of Nabers' strengths. "He sees the field good, too, when he catches the ball. They give him bench, drag routes, let him catch it with a lot of space so he can work that way. Give him deep balls, as well. I think he's a pretty good complete receiver I've seen so far based on his first two games. Good player. He went to LSU — what can I say?"

Leave it to another former Bayou Bengal to bring up the other natural comparison between Nabers and Beckham. The rookie is just the latest in a long line of LSU wide receivers who have arrived in the NFL ready-made to shine in the pros, a lineage that stretches back even before Beckham and Jarvis Landry arrived in the league together out of Baton Rouge in 2014.

Nabers isn't even the first LSU product the Browns have had to deal with this season, only the latest. A week ago, it was his former teammate Brian Thomas Jr. who had 94 yards on just two catches — one of those a 66-yard catch — for the Jacksonville Jaguars in a Cleveland win.

Cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. knows all too well about LSU wide receivers, both at the college and pro levels. He faced them annually while at Mississippi State, and now sees them regularly with the Browns.

"I'll just say production," Emerson said. "I mean their receiver group, I mean recruiting, all that. LSU has some good receivers in the past, and they keep producing themselves. Yeah, that's what I would say."

The LSU product Emerson and the rest of the Browns secondary are going to have to deal with Sunday has been even better than his former college teammate through two games. Nabers has been a bright light shining on a team that has stumbled out of the gate at 0-2.

Nabers is tied for second in the league in both catches (15) and targets (25). He's fourth in the league in receiving yards (193), tied for third in first-down catches (nine) and first in 20-plus-yard receptions (five).

“Well, they use them a lot," Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said. "I mean, second-most targets in the NFL. They’re getting the ball to him. He’s very, very fast. He’s explosive. There’s a reason he was drafted where he was drafted. He’s a very, very, very good young player.”

A week ago against the Washington Commanders, Nabers added one more comparison between himself and Beckham. His 10-catch, 127-yard, one-touchdown performance made him just the second Giants rookie to have 10-plus catches, 125-plus receiving yards and at least one receiving touchdown in a game.

The other? Beckham, of course. The last NFL rookie to have such a game? Ja'Marr Chase of the Cincinnati Bengals and, naturally, LSU.

"The proof is in the pudding, man," Delpit said. "You know the Tigers will get theirs, but it's Tiger on Tiger this week. So you know we got to take care of them."

Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Browns see OBJ in Giants rookie, latest LSU phenom Malik Nabers