Odell Beckham Jr. followed up a phenomenal junior season in Baton Rouge with one of the NFL Combine's best performances, and the folks in New York obviously took notice. The Giants have drafted the former LSU Tiger with the No. 12 overall pick of the 2014 NFL Draft.
Rated as SB Nation's No. 19 overall prospect and third-best receiver on the final top 200 big board, Beckham had his best college season in 2013. He caught 59 passes for 1,152 yards and eight touchdowns. Early in his career, Beckham made a big impact in the return game. As a junior, he shared targets with fellow NFL hopeful Jarvis Landry, preventing him from putting up the prolific numbers of some other receivers in this class.
As SB Nation's Dan Kadar notes in his scouting report, Beckham's speed and agility are what make him a dangerous player.
With the ball in his hands, Beckham has the instincts and agility to make defenders miss. He utilizes this trait on special teams as a dangerous return man. But it also works in the passing game after the catch. Beckham can make a tackler miss if he has the space to move, giving him the ability to break runs deep. ...
Beckham's mother was a track athlete at LSU and it was clearly passed down. The younger Beckham displays the speed you'd expect from his lineage. At the combine, Beckham ran the 40-yard dash in 4.43 seconds, and easily plays up to that time. A lot of Beckham's plays are deeper vertical routes that rely on his speed to create separation. Beckham can get up to top speed in a hurry and displays good acceleration.
Combine results
Height: 5'11
Weight: 198 pounds
40-yard dash: 4.43 seconds
Bench press: 7 reps
Vertical jump: 38.5"
3-cone drill: 6.69 seconds
20-yard shuffle: 3.94 seconds
Beckham has arguably the best hands in this draft class. Despite having a smaller frame than some of the other top receivers, he has an outstanding catch radius and uses his body control to make plays along the sideline. With his superior athletic ability, Beckham has the potential to be a No. 1 wide receiver in the NFL.