Odell Beckham Jr: Hall of Famer in the Making

Odell Beckham Jr. is one of the most explosive players at the wide receiver position. He is most famous for his incredible catch against the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football, which began a pattern of many amazing and ridiculous receptions. Not only does Odell have great hands, but he also is one of the best all-around receivers in the NFL. He is one of the most fun players to watch and if he continues at this level, he could find himself in the Hall of Fame.

Beckham was drafted out of LSU by the Giants with the 12th overall pick in the 2014 draft. While playing at LSU for three years, Beckham played in 40 total games. His career stats at LSU include 143 receptions for 2,340 receiving yards, and 12 touchdowns.

Not only did he play receiver, but he also was a punt and kick returner. He managed to take back only two touchdowns in his three years at a returner, both coming from punt returning. In 2013, Beckham won the Paul Hornung award for the nation’s most versatile player, when he broke the LSU single-season all-purpose yards record with 2,315 total yards.

With a great college career and an outstanding 2013 season, Beckham earned the respect of many teams and was easily a first round pick in the draft. He was recognized by scouts as one of the best route running receivers in the draft. They also liked his ability to get separation off of defensive backs and thought his jumping ability was exceptional. He was the third receiver taken in the draft only behind the Bills Sammy Watkins and the Bucs Mike Evans.

Beckham was forced to miss the first four games of his rookie year due to a hamstring injury. Tom Coughlin, the Giants former head coach, was upset with the situation because he knew that he was what Eli Manning was missing. Instead of rushing back to the field, Beckham stayed out until he was healthy. This proved to be smart as right away, in his first career game, he caught a touchdown pass from Manning. From there, Manning and Beckham have clicked and are one of the best duos in the NFL. In just 12 games in his rookie year, he racked up 91 receptions, 1,305 yards, and 12 touchdowns, but also had one of the most amazing catches in NFL history, won offensive rookie of the year, and was voted on to the Madden cover for the 2015 game.

His 2015 season proved to be just as productive because in just 15 games, he piled up 96 receptions, 1,450 receiving yards, and 13 touchdowns. He has easily been Manning’s top target as he threw his way 158 times in the season. His skill, speed, and hands also have caught the attention of the other NFL players, as they voted him number 10 in the NFL’s top 100 players ranking. That is very exceptional for only being in the league for two years, where there is a lot of competition at his position.

With Beckham so young in his career, he still has much to prove for the longterm, but he is a great receiver that knows how to make big plays. His ability to get open and make the incredible catches he makes will likely keep him a top receiver in the league. With all the incredible accolades he already has at two years in the league and the amount of football he has left in him, he definitely has a great chance of being in the hall of fame at the end of his career.