The offense in the eyes of the co-owner, John Mara, was “broken.’’
The Giants Thursday night took a big step in fixing what ailed them, selecting receiver Odell Beckham Jr. in the first round of the NFL Draft. General manager Jerry Reese called the selection “easy’’ as the Giants used the 12th overall pick on a player Reese says is “almost pro-ready right now.’’
The Giants needed a receiver ever since Hakeem Nicks broke down, and now they have another one to put alongside Victor Cruz, who Beckham said he has patterned his game on.
“It couldn’t have worked out any better,’’ Beckham said. “Perfect situation.’’
Beckham is only 5-foot-11 but he he’s fast, productive and competitive, in some ways born for this. His mother was a track champion at LSU and his father was a running back at the school. Beckham might also have been born to play for the Giants. He attended Isidore Newman High School in New Orleans — the same school as Eli Manning — and he has caught passes from Eli and Peyton Manning at the Manning Passing Academy. At LSU, Beckham was a teammate of Giants receiver Rueben Randle.
Reese said when the Giants were on the clock Beckham was the highest-rated player on his draft board, a player the Giants had rated between six and 10. He started 34 games in his career at LSU and, going against the top competition in the nation in the SEC, finished with 143 receptions for 2,340 yards and 12 touchdowns. Beckham runs 4.4 in the 40-yard dash, has big hands and is considered to be an outstanding worker and competitor. He’s not very big, though.
“Let’s look at the Super Bowl,’’ Reese said. “How tall were those [Seahawks] receivers they won with? Tall receivers don’t always correlate to Super Bowl wins.’’
The Giants hope that’s the case, as Beckham and Cruz (6-foot) aren’t tall but Randle (6-2) does have good size. Beckham is an outside receiver, which should complement what Cruz does best in the slot.
There’s no doubt the Giants put together a wish list that included Texas A&M receiver Mike Evans, tackle Taylor Lewan of Michigan and Beckham, with Notre Dame offensive lineman Zach Martin and Pitt defensive tackle Aaron Donald also on their radar.
When it came time to pick at No. 12, Evans and Lewan were off the board but the other three were there for the taking for the Giants.
“You speculate right away how they’re going to come off the board,’’ coach Tom Coughlin said. “When we had the opportunity to pick Beckham, we were certainly excited. This particular individual was somebody quite frankly we favored on the board all along.’’
Beckham also has extensive experience as a kick and punt returner, prompting Marc Ross, the vice president of player evaluation, to say Beckham is “by far the most versatile receiver in the draft.’’ Reese called him “a lump in your throat’’ returner who should make an impact right away on special teams.
“That’s kind of one of the things I love doing most,’’ Beckham said.
Beckham was widely viewed as the third-best receiver in the draft, behind Sammy Watkins and Evans. But Gil Brandt, the noted draft guru and former Cowboys draft expert, calls Beckham “a great player’’ and predicts “He will be an All-Pro who may be the best receiver in this draft.”
It figures the Giants will go heavy in this draft adding players to help Manning rejuvenate the offense. They did plenty of work in free agency, signing four offensive linemen — including likely starters Geoff Schwartz at left guard and J.D. Walton at center — plus running back Rashad Jennings and tight end Kellen Davis. They also signed former Giants receiver Mario Manningham, who spent the past two years with the 49ers.
The selection of Beckham no doubt brought a smile to Manning’s face.
“You talk about a quarterback and he needs some help,’’ Coughlin said. “This guy’s a weapon.’’