Welcome to the Giants

[BlueInCanada]

 

 

OVERVIEW

Father, Odell Sr., was a running back for the Tigers (1989-92) and mother, Heather Van Norman, was an LSU All-American and national champion in track (1991-93). Odell Jr. was an all-purpose standout as a Louisiana prep. As a true freshman in 2011 (wore jersey No. 33), played all 14 games (11 starts at "Z" receiver) and recorded 41 receptions for 475 yards (11.6-yard average) and two touchdowns. Started 12-of-13 games at the "Z" in '12 (team opened with extra tight end against Arkansas), tallying 43-713-2 (16.6). Was the Paul Hornung Award winner as the nation's most versatile player in '13 when he broke the LSU single-season all-purpose yards record (2,315) and snagged 59-1,152-8 (19.5) in 13 starts at "X" receiver. Also returned 68 career punts for 557 yards (8.2), including two scores, and 42 kickoffs for 1,044 yards (24.9).

ANALYSIS STRENGTHS Quick hands and feet to slip the jam. Fluid and fast. Good balance. Sinks his hips and changes gears to create separation. Quick hands to pluck off his frame. Terrific leaping ability -- climbs the ladder to snatch throws. Creates after the catch -- shows burst and shiftiness as a runner. Has playmaking ability. Confident and competitive. Has kickoff- and punt-return experience. Productive three-year starter. WEAKNESSES Adequate height. Lacks elite top-end speed to separate vertically. Could stand to polish the finer points of his route running. Inconsistent making contested grabs -- can be out-muscled in a crowd. Has some concentration drops. Can improve as a blocker. Was not an impactful punt returner. Was held in check by Florida and Alabama. DRAFT PROJECTION Round 1 BOTTOM LINE Talented, competitive, productive, inconsistent college split end who projects as a big-play receiver in the pros. Offers versatility to toggle between "X," "Z" and slot given his ability to stretch the field and run after the catch. Brings added value as a kick returner.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jZbGUMevcI

[BlueInCanada]

Maybe unlike Cruz, he can get separation when facing a good CB.

[Mr. P]

[Mr. P]

[BlueInCanada]

But he's 5'11'' obviously he's not going to be any good.

 

I mean Nicks was two inches taller.

[Mr. P]

But he's 5'11'' obviously he's not going to be any good.

 

I mean Nicks was two inches taller.

 

 

for real though, plenty of good receivers have been that height or shorter, and played more than just slot.

 

 

plus watching his tape, he plays much bigger.

[BlueInCanada]

 

 

for real though, plenty of good receivers have been that height or shorter, and played more than just slot.

 

 

plus watching his tape, he plays much bigger.

 

From everything I'm reading he can play any position on the field and do it good.

 

X, Y or Slot.

[Nas]

But he's 5'11'' obviously he's not going to be any good.

 

I mean Nicks was two inches taller.

This guy is far more athletic than Nicks ever was... I like the pick and we'll address the OL still

[BleedinBlue]

Looking at that little clip Pdub put up, he must have big hands the way he caught the ball and even held it upside down keeping it from falling to the ground. Well...I sure hope he fits in good with the Giants and he brings some thrills to us fans.

 

Odell...if you're reading this, Welcome to the Giants. We're very loyal fans, but get real nasty when players screw up. I wish you a great career in a Giants' uniform.

[BlueInCanada]

If anything I'll be his biggest fan.

 

Shit I held onto the Moss wagon till it was burnt to the ground.

[Allstarjim]

I love the pick, and I think McAdoo has big plans to make him our version of Randall Cobb. Really excited about this player, and I think the Giants might come back and take another receiver in the next few rounds.

[BleedinBlue]

If anything I'll be his biggest fan.

 

Shit I held onto the Moss wagon till it was burnt to the ground.

LMAO. I did the same with Ramses Barden. I was convinced he was going to turn into a stud instead of a dud.

[Mr. P]

Looking at that little clip Pdub put up, he must have big hands the way he caught the ball and even held it upside down keeping it from falling to the ground. Well...I sure hope he fits in good with the Giants and he brings some thrills to us fans.

 

Odell...if you're reading this, Welcome to the Giants. We're very loyal fans, but get real nasty when players screw up. I wish you a great career in a Giants' uniform.

 

Nicks had 10 1/2 inch hand measurement. Odell is 10.

[Mr. P]

even though his name was ordell and not odell, still funny:

 

 

 

[BlueInCanada]

LMAO. I did the same with Ramses Barden. I was convinced he was going to turn into a stud instead of a dud.

 

You know I held onto Moss because he played great in college and has a 1st/2nd round grade.

 

Barden was a late round grade and all his game type was him playing against some 5ft2 white guys and out running and jumping them, so I didn't have hope he would convert over to the NFL just because of his height.

 

So just goes to show none of us really know a fucking thing about the NFL and the players.

 

Which is why I'm happy to pretend to know what I'm talking about during the draft HA

[Virginia Giant]

Well I ssaid the Texans would trade up, but I like him with the Browns. I'll be rooting for him, would be nice to see him do well and see the Browns relevant again.

[Mr. P]

 

You know I held onto Moss because he played great in college and has a 1st/2nd round grade.

 

Barden was a late round grade and all his game type was him playing against some 5ft2 white guys and out running and jumping them, so I didn't have hope he would convert over to the NFL just because of his height.

 

So just goes to show none of us really know a fucking thing about the NFL and the players.

 

Which is why I'm happy to pretend to know what I'm talking about during the draft HA

 

reminds me of how every year so many of us think every one of our picks will be contributors and future starters, every round, when statistically we will be lucky to find a couple good players.

[NOTW]

Good pick

[BleedinBlue]

You know I held onto Moss because he played great in college and has a 1st/2nd round grade.

 

Barden was a late round grade and all his game type was him playing against some 5ft2 white guys and out running and jumping them, so I didn't have hope he would convert over to the NFL just because of his height.

 

So just goes to show none of us really know a fucking thing about the NFL and the players.

 

Which is why I'm happy to pretend to know what I'm talking about during the draft HA

Ain't that the truth. If I had carte blanche to make every pick for the Giants, we'd probably suck worse than ever. It's the joy of being a fan when you can pretend you are smarter than a team of professional scouts who spend 50 hours a week watching tape and studying every player.

 

Being a fan is sorta like being a young man between 18-26...you know absolutely everything . It isn't until you go through your 30's, 40's, 50's, etc., before you realize you didn't know didley squat when you were young. But never try to tell an 18 year old that they don't know everything.....or a Giants' fan like myself.

[Herc]

he's 5'11 and change, not 5'9. putting as much emphasis on height as ability is how you end up with blake bortles at #3

[Mr. P]

 

Pete Prisco, CBSSports.com

 

“B+ I might be in the minority on this pick, but I like it. He will be better than Mike Evans. They need a receiver to go with Victor Cruz.”

 

Bill Polian, ESPN

 

“Beckham is a smooth and explosive athlete who brings a dangerous element after the catch and as a returner. He showed tremendous improvement throughout the course of last season with his release and ball skills. Beckham has been compared to former Rams WR Isaac Bruce and has the potential to develop into a strong No. 2 wideout.”

 

Gil Brandt, NFL.com

 

“Wouldn't shock me if Beckham ends up having the best career of all WRs in this draft. Great pick for #Giants.”

 

Doug Farrar, SI.com

 

“In 2013, with first-year offensive coordinator Cam Cameron running a more expansive passing game, Beckham caught 57 passes for 1,117 yards and eight touchdowns. At the scouting combine drills, I was specifically impressed with his ability among all the receivers in his group to grasp and show that he's a complete receiver and not just a guy who runs fast in a straight line. There shouldn't be any problem when he is asked to do the same for the Giants. This is a major win for a team in need of new weapons.”

 

Marc Sessler, NFL.com

 

“Big Blue swooped in with the No. 12 pick in the 2014 NFL Draft to grab wide receiver Odell Beckham out of LSU. It marks the seventh time in nine years that the Giants tapped the draft for wideout help, and the decision fills an immediate need for New York's offense.

 

“The 5-foot-11 Beckham brings field-stretching ability and comparisons from some to Antonio Brown of the Steelers. It was whispered that the Jets wanted him badly, but he'll make for a tantalizing addition alongside [Victor] Cruz and help fill the void left by Hakeem Nicks.”

 

Chris Korman, Maggie Hendricks, Brent Sobleski and Steven Ruiz, USA TODAY Sports

 

“Eli Manning is a happy man. After losing Hakeem Nicks in the offseason, the Giants replaced him with the most pro-ready wide receiver in the draft class. Beckham can make the type of catches that will help Manning and his erratic accuracy. Beckham should play outside and take pressure of Victor Cruz, who predominantly lines up in the slot.”

 

http://www.giants.com/news-and-blogs/article-1/Experts-react-to-Odell-Beckham-Jr-pick/9752eade-dc70-486e-8df6-a7053fc40db8

[Sephiroth]

If anything I'll be his biggest fan.

 

Shit I held onto the Moss wagon till it was burnt to the ground.

 

 

LMAO. I did the same with Ramses Barden. I was convinced he was going to turn into a stud instead of a dud.

 

I likeded both of them.

[Mr. P]

NY Giants top pick Odell Beckham Jr. has been a game changer from the very beginning

 

 

The spotlight was already on Odell Beckham Jr. in early 2011 when he made the trip to San Antonio to play in the U.S. Army High School All-American Game. He was already rated as a Top 100 prospect, choosing between offers from Miami and LSU.

But he was selected to the all-star game to play cornerback on the West team, which wasn’t at all what he had in mind.

“He told the coaches, ‘Look, I don’t want to play corner. I want to play receiver,” his father, Odell Sr., recalls. “And they’re looking at him like, ‘Yeah, OK. Everyone’s an All-American here. We don’t have any positions available.’ So he called me up and he said, ‘Man, Pops, I told them I wanted to play receiver, but I’m not getting any reps.’

“So I said ‘Well, if you want to play receiver, and that’s where your heart is, go get it. Call me when you get some reps.’ It didn’t even take a day and he called me saying ‘You know what Pops? I’m starting now.’”

Those coaches learned what most of Beckham’s coaches had learned throughout his lifetime: Once he gets a chance, there isn’t much he can’t do on a football field, especially with the ball in his hands.

That’s why the Giants selected the New Orleans native and LSU product with the 12th overall pick in the NFL draft on Thursday — higher than any LSU receiver has ever been drafted — describing him as “dynamic” and touting him as a “weapon” that can help fix their “broken” offense. Like the coaches in the high school all-star game, the Giants fell in love with everything from Beckham’s speed to his elusiveness to his football I.Q.

None of that came as a surprise to “Pops,” who swears he first saw something special when his son was just 4 years old when he was swinging a Wiffle Ball bat from both sides of the plate and already learning to swim. Odell Sr. was a star running back at LSU himself. And Odell Jr.’s mom, Heather Van Norman, currently the track coach at Nicholls State, was a world-class sprinter and a six-time all-American who was training for the Olympics when she learned she was pregnant.

They knew Odell, Jr. had hit the genetic jackpot. They also knew their job was to give him a little push.

So at age 7, Odell Jr. was spending summers in Dallas with his dad (who had separated from Van Norman) running routes through trees in the yard every day, learning the nuances of a game that his peers wouldn’t learn for years. And they didn’t just play football. They played baseball, basketball and even soccer — a sport that Odell Jr. was so good at that his father said he could’ve played it internationally, except that he didn’t want to move so far away.

“It was like you didn’t even have to motivate him,” Pops says. “He was self-motivated. We’d sit around and he’s like ‘Wait a minute. Pops, let’s go throw the ball, let’s go shoot, let’s go do that.’ I didn’t even have to motivate him to do anything.”

Nelson Stewart saw that too, along with the incredible athletic ability, long before he coached Odell Jr. at Isidore Newman High School — the famous New Orleans alma mater of Eli and Peyton Manning. “Even as a middle-schooler, when he got in the open field and you saw him shifting and moving and spinning and running all over the place,” Stewart says. “I had never seen a kid do that before.”

Before Odell even got to Newman, Stewart was already rewriting his playbook in his head. Odell Jr. started as a quarterback, but he was often used more as an all-purpose “weapon”. He eventually asked to shift to wide receiver (he also played defensive back) but even then, Stewart spent nights devising ways to use him all over the field.

“We always said he was always a threat to go 90 yards,” Stewart says. “The thing we tried to do in high school was be creative with how we got the ball in his hands. We had never run option routes before. We put in the Wildcat. There were many nights where he could’ve had five or six touchdowns. One game he had a rushing, throwing and receiving touchdown. He could almost do anything.”

He was constantly proving that, too. Gus Malzahn, then the Auburn offensive coordinator, stopped by Newman on a recruiting trip and happened to see Odell, then a junior, firing passes 60 yards down the field. “Wow,” Malzahn said. “He can really throw the ball. Then he told Stewart “I’m ready to make him an offer right now.” But Malzahn didn’t know the best part. “That’s with his left hand,” Stewart told him. “And he’s righthanded.”

By the time Beckham was a senior, his numbers were dazzling. He caught 50 passes for 1,010 yards and 19 touchdowns — joining Cooper Manning, Eli and Peyton’s other brother, as the only receivers in school history to top 1,000 yards in a season (and Cooper had the benefit of having Peyton throw him the ball). Beckham also rushed 50 times for 331 yards and six touchdowns, threw for 90 yards and two touchdowns, returned two punts for touchdowns, and had four interceptions, too.

In college he was just as impressive. Last season he caught 59 passes for 1,152 yards and eight touchdowns and averaged over 26 yards per kickoff return. He was second in the nation with 2,315 all-purpose yards — third in SEC history behind Darren McFadden (2,310, Arkansas, 2007) and Randall Cobb (2,396, Kentucky, 2010). He won the Paul Hornung Award as the nation’s most versatile player.

“He’s one of those explosive guys, like DeSean Jackson style,” says his former college and new Giants teammate, receiver Rueben Randle, echoing a comparison to the dangerous former Eagles receiver made by many scouts. “He can make that big play. He can stretch it. He can take anything to the house.”

Even the Mannings could see their fellow Newman alum was something special. When Beckham attended the Manning camp last summer, he was running routes so precisely and catching so many passes that Stewart says “Eli kept asking for him,” which allowed him to get in a lot of work with his future quarterback.

And even though the quarterbacks are the main attraction at the camp, Pops insists that one college coach confided in him that he “got wrapped up in watching Odell Beckham Jr. because as far as Peyton could throw it, Odell Beckham Jr. ran up under it. So that was quite a statement. Peyton couldn’t even outthrow him.”

It is quite a statement, but not one that Odell Jr. would ever make himself. Though Stewart says “He can do things that just take your breath away” the coach also says it has never gone to his head. “He’s so flashy and electric on the field,” Stewart says, “but when you talk to him he’s a very humble, hard-working kid.” He’s been that way since he was 4 years old and he first told his parents he was “practicing for Sundays.” It’s as if his whole life was a preparation for this moment. And in some ways, that’s exactly what it was.

“Absolutely. That was our dream,” says Pops. “At one point we were in Arizona training for the combine and he said ‘You know Pops, is this what you dreamed or imagined it would be?’ I said ‘This is what I imagined it would be — and more.’”

 

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/giants/giants-top-pick-game-changer-beginning-article-1.1787430#ixzz31PS1iceI

[Mr. P]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1996862-nfl-draft-2014-odell-beckham-jr-could-be-the-steal-of-the-first-round

[Mr. P]

Conor Orr ‏@ConorTOrr 3m

Odell Beckham will wear No. 13 this season. Working on getting his original No. 3 retired at Eli's high school.