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Former New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images

Former Giants WR Odell Beckham Jr. Snags This Distinction from PFF

Originally posted on New York Giants on SI
By Evan Orris | Last updated Jun 2, 2025 2:00 PM ET

The New York Giants have had two AP Offensive Rookie of the Year award winners since 2006, those being receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (2014) and running back Saquon Barkley (2018).

But in a new analysis by Pro Football Focus, Beckham remains the top drafted rookie by the Giants in terms of overall grade with a 90.8 ranking, second among receivers that season.

The Giants selected Beckham No. 12 overall in the 2014 NFL Draft out of LSU. After missing the first four games of his rookie season with a hamstring injury, he immediately made an impact, catching four passes for a team-leading 44 yards and his first career touchdown in New York's 30-20 win over the Atlanta Falcons.

However, Beckham found his form during the second half of the season, recording at least 90 yards in the last nine games. Not only did he also pass the 100-yard mark in seven of those games, but he reached the 130-yard mark, including a season-high 12-catch, 185-yard output, in six of those performances.

He also caught 10 or more receptions in a game four times in his first season, becoming the first rookie in NFL history to accomplish the feat. One of those came against the Cowboys in Week 12 when Beckham recorded 10 receptions for 146 yards and two touchdowns.

One of those touchdowns was the iconic one-handed catch that became one of the most famous catches in NFL history. Beckham would instantly become a favorite not just to Giants fans but to many enthusiasts around the league.

The Catch That Broke the Internet.

Odell Beckham Jr. catches a one-handed touchdown and it is arguably one of the most iconic catches in NFL history. (via @nflthrowback)pic.twitter.com/SAchXm5uCv
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) December 22, 2019

The electrifying rookie would finish his rookie season with 91 receptions for 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns, ranking within the top 10 in all categories in only 12 games. His 108.8 yards-per-game average was also a Giants and NFL record at the time.

He also led all wide receivers in forced missed tackles (14) and yards per route run (3.14), showcasing his elite ability to turn a small gain into a huge gain. Beckham racked up 511 yards after the catch in his rookie season.

Beckham became the first Giant to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year award and the first Giant to win a Rookie of the Year Award since Hall of Fame linebacker Lawerence Taylor won in 1981.

The LSU product spent six seasons with the Giants and currently ranks among the top 5 in franchise history in yards, receptions, and touchdowns. Unfortunately, Beckham’s larger-than-life personality, combined with some questionable on- and off-field decisions, resulted in his being traded to Cleveland one year into his five-year, $90 million contract extension following the 2018 season.

Beckham recently revealed that he never wanted to leave New York and desperately wanted to win a Super Bowl for the team. It didn't work out that way, but it’s hard to deny that Beckham had one of the best rookie seasons by a Giants' receiver since 2006, only rivaled by fellow LSU alumnus Malik Nabers’s 2024 rookie campaign.

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