Giants WR Odell Beckham Jr. Is Dominating the NFL

It’s hardly prophetic, but these were the words I wrote about New York Giants rookie wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. when he was selected with the 12th overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft:

“The Giants did really well with this selection, and Beckham Jr. is going to be making a name for himself right away in the NFL.”

And make a name for himself, he has.

Beckham Jr. has only played nine of a possible 14 games due to injury, but he exploded onto the scene when he was given the opportunity and with the injury to Victor Cruz, he’s become Eli Manning’s number one target and one of the best receivers in the NFL. Not even his most confident supporters could have predicted the success Beckham Jr. would have had at this point in his career, but one play on Sunday Night Football has made this guy a not just a name but a household name.

Simply put, this kid is a beast, and he’s here to stay among the NFL’s top receivers. Here’s some more of my report on Beckham Jr. as a prospect that has come to light in his first year as a pro.

“Had Beckham been 6’1″ or bigger, he’d have competed with Sammy Watkins and Mike Evans to be the first receiver off the board…

When I watched Beckham play, the traits that stood out to me were how naturally he plays the position and how easy he makes catching the ball look. Coming from LSU, he has experience with an NFL-caliber route tree in Cam Cameron’s pro-style offense. He understands complex concepts that a lot of college receivers aren’t trained in.

He has excellent quickness, huge, soft hands, and speed to burn.

He almost has the build and running style after the catch or in the open field of a running back. His athleticism allows him an advantage over defenders even though he doesn’t necessarily have the height advantage. He made some sick catches against Iowa in LSU’s bowl game last year, and overall, I think is still coming into his own as a player.”

As we’ve all seen, this kid is for real, and he’s proving in nine games that he can and will out-produce not only guys that were drafted ahead of him, but that he will out produce most veteran receivers who have established themselves as stars in the league. Beckham is currently fourth in the NFL in yards per game, and tied for 11th with nine touchdown grabs. He is coming off of a game against the Washington Redskins where he caught three of those nine touchdown passes, and he’s really just starting to come into his own as a player.

We saw at LSU the dominant type of player Beckham could be, especially in that game against Iowa where he was making a well coached defensive unit look ridiculous. The NFL caliber coaching he and teammate Jarvis Landry received has translated well to the league — they are atop the rookie rankings for receptions this season. The NFL caliber talent? Well, that can’t be coached, it can just be amplified. The Giants are making great use of Beckham Jr., putting him outside, in the slot, allowing him to use his physicality as well as his ability after the catch.

I think this kid is already a top 10 receiver in the league talent-wise and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him up there among the league’s most respected players at this time next season. He has dominant traits and is already flexing over the best defensive players in the world.

Going into the draft, this was one of my absolute favorite players and the Giants cashed in on his fall out of the top 10. They’ll be reaping the benefits for years to come.