The NY Giants are hoping rookie Odell Beckham Jr. can be an impact player this season and so do fantasy football owners and now the New York wide receiver is getting back into action after dealing with a hamstring, as he was cleared for individual workouts and that is a big development as Eli Manning and company get more comfortable in Ben McAdoo's new offense.
Beckham comes into the season as a potential star in the Giants' offense and he could be a major sleeper if he can stay healthy. According to Pro Football Talk, Beckham is nearing a full recovery from his hamstring issues and he now will be back to individual work as he gets back on the practice field. If Beckham shows that he can get back to things without any hamstring issues, he will likely be in the lineup for Saturday's preseason game against the Colts.
The Giants took Beckham with the 12th overall pick in the draft in the first round and GM Jerry Reese opted to go with a wide receiver over other potential options like Zack Martin on the offensive line or Aaron Donald on defense. Heading into the draft WR was a glaring need and clearly Reese addressed that early with Beckham, who came out of LSU with some explosive skills after a great season with the Tigers. The Giants liked his ability to run routes and also his impact on special teams and he could contribute there and on offense this season.
Beckham can contribute in three different ways for the team, as he is a wide receiver that can run strong routes and he also returns punts and kicks and is coming off of a record setting year with the Tigers. Last season Beckham had 59 catches for over 1,000 yards and he put up over 2,000 total yards to set the school record for the team and with Ben McAdoo coming in to run the offense, the team needed a dynamic wide receiver to replace Hakeem Nicks and that's exactly what they got with Beckham.
Andre Williams may end up being the most important pick for the Giants in the future when looking back to this draft, as they basically now have to look at David Wilson as a waste of a first round pick two years ago and he could be a contributor right away also. The team signed Rashad Jennings in the offseason and brought back Peyton Hillis and adding Williams to that mix gives depth to a position that was a huge weakness last season. Williams rushed for over 2,100 yards last season to lead the nation and he joins Jennings, who led the Raiders in rushing.
