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The Philadelphia Eagles are bringing in yet another wide receiver for a pre-draft visit. This time it's Louisiana State University WR Odell Beckham Junior. Beckham himself confirmed he would be meeting with the Eagles this week via an interview on Sirus XM NFL Radio. Beckham is expected to be a first round pick. NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah said Beckham could even go as high as a top 10 pick.
The Eagles are allowed 30 pre-draft visits, and currently 18 of them are known. Beckham's appearance will make him the fifth receiver the Eagles have brought in for a pre-draft visit. The previous four include: Mike Evans, Kelvin Benjamin, Marqise Lee, and Cody Latimer. So almost 30% of the Eagles' known pre-draft visits have been with wide receivers.
Getting back to Beckham, he's a 21-year-old junior who measures in at 5-11, 198 lbs. In three seasons at LSU, Beckham recorded 141 catches for 2305 yards (16.3 average) and 12 TD. He also rushed for 77 yards on 7 attempts. Beckham returned kicks and punts for LSU. He finished with 2 TDs, 538 yards on 58 punt returns (9.3 average) and 1005 yards on 40 kick returns (25.1 average).
Here's a BGN scouting profile on Beckham via Mike Kaye:
Strengths
Beckham has some of the best hands you will see at the college level. He literally catches everything. There are some guys that only make awesome catches or just make wide-open bombs, but this guy does it all. It does not matter if the pass is contested, as he will likely come down with it. He is 6-foot and 207 pounds, but plays bigger and is not afraid of contact at all.
He has very good change of direction ability and has a shimmy to his shake. He runs very solid routes and can run every single one in the tree. He was used on reverses and ran well at LSU. He is a smart kick returner and does well on punt returns. He is a true offensive force on the field and score from anywhere. He is also is extremely good at jump balls for a guy of his size.Weaknesses
He does not get a ton of separation. He is forced to make contested catches simply because he does not get open with ease. His ability to catch the ball from anywhere makes this issue null and void at the college level, but could hurt him in the NFL. He is more quick than fast but does not have the long-end speed that you would probably like in a return man.Eagles Outlook
Ideally, the Eagles would re-sign one of their free agents and find a replacement for another. Beckham can play the slot or outside with ease, so he would be appealing no matter who they re-sign. He is probably ideal for the slot given his route prowess, hands and average size. He would easily be the best option on punt returns on the team if selected by the Eagles.
Here's a look at Beckham's spider graph. Not too shabby.
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