New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh just revealed his plans for the wide receiver position.
The New York Giants brought in a glut of wide receivers this offseason. They signed Darnell Mooney and Calvin Austin III in March. They drafted Malachi Fields in April. They then added Odell Beckham Jr. and JuJu Smith-Schuster in June.
The latter two seemed like insurance additions in the event that Malik Nabers was not 100 percent, although he is looking pretty good thus far in training camp.
But as far as Beckham, it's important to remember that John Harbaugh coached him in Baltimore three years ago, and that is becoming very obvious this summer.
In fact, Harbaugh kind of, sort of played his hand during a team meeting this week, calling on Beckham to deliver Tuesday's "Wise Words."
“He’s working hard and he got some balls that came his way and he made some great plays,” Harbaugh said. “He addressed the team, and he did a great job with that. So, maybe that was the football gods right there. You never know.”
That sounds an awful lot like Harbaugh has already made his mind up concerning Beckham.
Nabers, Darius Slayton, Mooney, Austin and Fields are all locks to make the 53-man roster. That likely leaves one slot remaining for a receiver.
New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. Credit: Thomas Salus-Imagn Images.I have long campaigned for Smith-Schuster to land that last spot because he actually played last season and has been productive for a long time, but it's looking more and more like Beckham is Harbaugh's favorite.
Not only that, but Smith-Schuster is currently battling a knee injury, which could certainly inhibit his chances of showing out in camp and preseason.
Beckham has looked impressive in practice, as well. He is appearing healthy and spry, and while it isn't live-game action, it's something.
The 33-year-old did not play at all last season. He was last seen getting meaningful NFL action with the Miami Dolphins in 2024, when he played in nine games and totaled nine catches before getting cut.
For that reason, the idea of Beckham making the Giants' roster and actually contributing seemed rather farfetched at first. I thought for sure he would (should) be a goner.
But perhaps Beckham is in the process of proving me — and many others — wrong.
Will the three-time Pro Bowler even resemble his former self? Probably not. Beckham was once one of the game's most electrifying weapons, but that was a decade ago. Times have changed for the LSU product.
But even if Beckham emerges as a dependable ancillary option for New York, it will be considered a major success story.
It looks like Harbaugh already thinks that will happen.
