The New York Giants have a weapon on their hands, not Eli Manning, but the man Manning locks his eyes on when situations get tough for the Giants. In two short years, Odell Beckham Jr has managed to make himself a household name outside the state of New York. Unlike most NY professionals athletes he has done the majority of his talking on the field.
When top WRs are discussed, there are still a large number of people that tend to leave his name out the top 5. Maybe they have no love for the Giants; maybe they are still stuck on what some did in previous seasons that they haven’t had the time to look up and see the new crop that has taken over. For whatever reason, let me be the first to tell you that players like ODB come around ever so often.
For the rest of his career he will be remembered for “the catch” but to football fans, he’s much more. His rookie year didn’t start great as he missed four games due to injury but once he got going, let’s just say he has not returned to earth yet. In 12 games (2014) he did nothing spectacular but catch 91 passes for 1305 yards and 12 TDs, better numbers than players that played the full season but yet, some still say he’s not deserving.
That word fluke was passed around, but he silenced those critics with 96 receptions for 1450 yards and 13 TDs in 2015. Maybe I have a different definition of productive receivers than most but where in those numbers does it not say top 5? We know about Antonio Brown and Julio Jones but after them who can equal ODB’s stats? You can try to make a case for DeAndre Hopkins but, he’s close, but not quite there yet and to be brutally honest, Beckham may have leapfrogged Jones.
What makes Beckham so unique is the same thing that makes Brown and Jones so special. You know the ball is coming their way, but there is no chance of you stopping their production. I heard people put Larry Fitzgerald ahead of ODB, maybe four seasons ago but not now. Does Beckham deserve to be in the top 5, yes but to go further, he is top 3 and may have inched ahead of Jones for that 2nd spot? Jones is good, but the end zone has eluded him. The difference between the two is simple; the Falcons use the run to set up the pass, while the Giants use the pass to set up the pass. Imagine what ODB could do with help on the other side, no double team or even a reliable ground game.
As far as numbers go, Hopkins has caught 187 passes for 2731 and 17 TDs since 2014; Jones has caught 241 passes for 3464 and 12 TDs, and Brown has caught 265 for 3532 yards and 23 TDs. Beckham has caught 187 for 2755 and 25 TDs. Numbers don’t lie but what would his numbers be if he hadn’t missed those four games his rookie year?
His numbers are top WR worthy but there are still doubters, and every time someone doubts him he has gone out and proved them wrong. His numbers have improved each season; he has single handily revived the career and arm of Manning and by the end of 2016 he just may end up the best receiver in the NFL. Keep doubting him.