Didn’t think I was going to forget about the catch, did you? Giants fans didn’t have much to celebrate tonight with their team’s 3-8 record, but then they remembered rookie phenom Odell Beckham Jr. and his coming out party on Sunday Night Football. Let’s remind of ourselves of that awesome (dare I say, Jordan-esque) catch, shall we? 
After watching number thirteen work his magic, even the most critical of observers claimed that was the best catch they had ever seen and immediately drew comparisons to David Tyree’s Super Bowl helmet catch. While that’s open for debate, it was safe to say the football world definitely now knows the name. In fact, even LeBron James sang the praises as he tweeted:
As I watched the catch in real time, I was not one bit surprised OBJ made the catch as he did. How was that possible considering the fact that the ridiculous catch is caught with ONLY 3 fingers? And also somehow still in bounds for the touchdown? Well, I learned everything I needed to know about him after watching the Giants broadcast provide a glimpse of his legendary pregame warm-ups.
Turns out Miami Dolphins rookie wide receiver and ex-LSU teammate, Jarvis Landry, wasn’t surprised either. “We were walking through the airport when it flashed across to the screen. I wanted to immediately, my reaction, I wanted to scream,” Landry said. “But I’ve seen him make that catch countless times. It’s one of the things that we always worked on in college, just throwing to each other. So it’s wasn’t something that I didn’t expect he couldn’t do. He’s a freak.”
Landry hits the nail on the head. The ultra gifted former running back, quarterback and cornerback seems made for this, sharing a distinction with Eli Manning and family after also graduating from powerhouse Isidore Newman School. It is now hard to believe that Odell Beckham Jr. was only the third wide receiver taken in 2014 NFL Draft but is understandable given the unprecedented amount of WR talent available for the taking. Teams in desperate need of wide receivers like the New York Jets were praying that Beckham would somehow fall to them in the latter half of the first round but the Giants were wise to select Beckham Jr. when they did.
I first read about OBJ’s high ceiling and insane athleticism shortly before the combine but it is an entirely different treat to watch his game tape at this level. My brother and I will both tell you that the superstars in any sport play with something called SWAG. Make no mistake, Odell definitely has the swagger and debonair of a rookie who knows he will succeed (his hands made of sticky glue also help!) Even after missing the Giants’ first four games, Odell leads the team with 609 receiving yards and is second on the team in touchdowns only to TE Larry Donnell. It is not a stretch to say Odell Beckham Jr. is the most skilled offensive player on the Giants despite his age and limited experience. Beckham has a Pro Bowl future in store if healthy and will become the New York Giants’ Calvin Johnson, Dez Bryant, Antonio Brown, you name it. This is one heck of a player… enjoy the ride Big Blue.
The Draftnik 