College: Louisiana State
Ht: 5'11
Wt: 198 pounds
A favorite amongst those in the draft community, Odell Beckham Jr. will be one of the hottest names in this year's wide receiver class once the drafts commences.
Before this season, some said that he was just a product of the offense and Zach Mettenberger, now as we all can see, it was vice versa.
Strengths
Speed: Beckham is among the fastest wide receivers in this draft class, and he proved it with a 4.43 40 yard dash at the NFL combine. He can explode off the line and beat almost any corner deep, but possesses enough burst and acceleration to have speed in and out of his routes as well.
Hands: How many times do we see receivers in the NFL try to catch the ball against their bodies and end up dropping the pass? Beckham does not do that, he is a pure hands catcher, which is one of the most desirable traits for a receiver at the next level.
Route Running: This is probably Beckham's best attribute, which is really saying something after seeing how soft his hands are, and how fast he is. Beckham not only runs sharp, crisp routes, but he understands how to come out of these routes. He does not round into a curl route, he cuts into a slant route rather than just changing direction, and most importantly, he sets the quarterback up to allow yards after the catch.
Body Control: Catching passes from Zach Mettenberger requires excellent body control, as he tends to sail the ball farther than it needs to go. On more than one occasion last season, a deep route was poorly thrown by Mettenberger, but Beckham was able to adjust on the fly and configure his body in a way for him to make the catch. Beckham makes it look easy, but it is not a simple task. This trait allows him to make the difficult catches at the next level.
Weaknesses
Size: Like Sammy Watkins, some will be scared away with Beckham's lack of elite size. Not to say Beckham cannot be a true number one receiver, but he will be an incredible number two if a team drafts him for that role.
NFL Comparison
Beckham compares immensely to Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown, as both of them are the same size, with great hands and the ability to run incredible routes.
Draft Outlook
Without question, Beckham should be one of the first few wide receivers off the board, and the late first round seems like the most logical for the former Tiger.
Best Fits
Beckham has the potential to be a number one, but at his size he is best fit to be a number two. The Detroit Lions would be a good fit for him as a number two alongside Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate. But, the Lions might not want to take him in the top 10. Other fits could be the 49ers, Bengals, Carolina Panthers or even the San Diego Chargers.