2014 NFL Draft: A Further Look at Odell Beckham Jr
Mandatory Credit: Spruce Derden-USA TODAY Sports
The 2014 NFL Draft is officially less than a month away! With that said, it’s hard not to glance at all of the different mock drafts floating around out there on the internet. In many of the mock drafts, analysts have had the Kansas City Chiefs selecting a wide receiver with their first round pick.
The Chiefs only have six picks in this year’s draft, which will make it tough to fill in all of the loose positions. Wide receiver is one of the positions that needs attention though. One receiver that the Chiefs have been linked to several times in the past few months is LSU’s Odell Beckham Jr.
Now you’re probably wondering why I’m covering Beckham Jr. again, when I already did a scouting report on him (which you can read here). Well, I just thought that with the draft quickly approaching, it would be a good opportunity to further cover the receivers that the Chiefs have been linked to. By that, I mean I’m going to list their pros and cons and elaborate a little more on them.
Dane Brugler of NFL Draft Scout did an updated mock draft on April 14th that had the Chiefs selecting Beckham Jr. with the 23rd overall pick. Here was Brugler’s reasoning on the pick:
| (11-5) | Odell Beckham Jr., WR, LSU: Dwayne Bowe is locked up as the Chiefs’ No. 1 option, but Beckham would give Alex Smith a consistent No. 2 on the other side (and another LSU first round WR) to help open the passing game. |
(Source: NFL Draft Scout)
Nolan Nawrocki of NFL.com listed that Beckham Jr. was quick and added a lot by being able to return punts. He’s also able to make plays after the catch and has good hands, which is something that Kansas City’s current top wide receiver can’t say. Here are a few other pros about Beckham Jr:
"“Smooth athlete with very good acceleration to get up to top speed quickly. Terrific shake and burst out of his cuts to beat press and do something after the catch – dangerous with the ball. Excellent vision with dynamic moves. Good footwork, timing and depth in his routes to create separation and catch the ball well in stride.” – Dane Brugler“Beckham is very fast, but his YAC potential is about more than that. Much like Michael Crabtree, Beckham has an outstanding ability to set up what he does with the ball before he gets it.” – Cian Fahey of Bleacher Report"
As for the cons, several of them relate to Odell Beckham Jr’s height. He’s 5’11”, which is pretty short for any NFL player, but especially short for a wide receiver. Nawrocki doesn’t think Beckham Jr. did much as a punt returner and that he needs to improve on his blocking skills. With a lot of the Chiefs’ offensive linemen leaving in free agency, Alex Smith will need all of the help he can get so it’d be nice to have a wide receiver who can block every once in awhile. Lastly, here’s what Brugler had to say about Beckham Jr’s weaknesses.
"“Only average height and overall body strength – room to get stronger. Lacks elite speed and can be caught from behind by NFL DBs. Timid at times over the middle.”"
To sum up, there’s no guarantee that Odell Beckham Jr. will even be coming to Kansas City. While a lot of mock drafts have him going to the Chiefs at pick 23, many others have him going just one pick prior to the Philadelphia Eagles.
What are your thoughts on Odell Beckham Jr? Do you think he would be a good fit for the Chiefs? If not, who do you want to see Kansas City draft with their first round pick? Leave your comments below and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook!