Is Odell Beckham Jr. Ready to Replace Victor Cruz?

By Dan Soden on October 15, 2014

When the New York Giants took Odell Beckham Jr. with the 12th overall pick in this year’s draft, we knew he was destined to replace Hakeem Nicks, but I’m not sure anyone thought he would have to replace Victor Cruz.

When Cruz went down Sunday night after he ruptured his right patellar tendon, every single Giants fan wondered at least two things: is Cruz going to be alright and who is going to replace Cruz? With early rumors that the Giants would look to acquire Buffalo Bills wide-receiver Mike Williams laid to rest, the reality of needing to replace Cruz really sunk in.

Beckham was drafted to come in and immediately contribute to the Giants’ offense, but a hamstring injury delayed him, and with just two games under his belt, the rookie receiver is looking at a role I’m not sure he is ready to fill.

If there is any good news to be had, it is that Cruz wasn’t having the best season of his career, so the void from a production standpoint shouldn’t be one that Beckham can’t fill. The downside is that in his short NFL career, Beckham had exclusively played on the outside, which might led to some bumps along the way as he switches to the slot.

I do expect to see Beckham along with a mixture of journeyman Preston Parker, and the newest acquisition, Kevin Ogletree, in the slot when the Giants take on the 5-1 Dallas Cowboys this Sunday in Arlington, Texas. I also would be shocked to see just as much of Beckham on the outside as he will be in the slot.

In just his third game in the NFL, Beckham won’t be the leader and focal point of the Giants’ offense that Cruz was, but he can be a key contributor to an offense that has a lot to prove.