*Odell Beckham Jr. and Brandon Marshall were named by Reggie Wayne as the best WR duo in the NFL: *
How do teams plan on stopping Odell Beckham Jr. and Brandon Marshall?
That's the question the Giants want opposing defensive coordinators to have nightmares over as they try to gameplan against Big Blue's receivers. In a passing league, the Giants boast one of the NFL's deepest units. Beckham has racked up at least 1,300 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns in his first three seasons. Marshall has 941 receptions and 82 touchdowns in an 11-year career. Sterling Shepard found the end zone eight times during his rookie season and the Giants added tight end Evan Engram to the mix in 2017 NFL Draft.
One NFL great who knows a thing or two about top wide receiver tandems is former Indianapolis Colts' star Reggie Wayne. The future Hall of Famer spent the first eight of his 14 professional seasons lined up across from Marvin Harrison, who earned his gold jacket in 2016 after retiring back in 2008. Together, Harrison and Wayne rank 1-2 on the Indianapolis Colts all-time receiving yards list.
Now an analyst for NFL.com, Wayne surveyed the NFL's receiving duos heading into the 2017 season, and came up with his five best. Odell Beckham Jr. and Brandon Marshall claimed the top spot.
"Brandon Marshall might be the best red-zone receiver in the league (along with Jordy Nelson), and the Giants sure could use the help in that category," Wayne writes. "Big Blue ranked 22nd in red-zone efficiency a year ago, only converting touchdowns 51 percent of the time. OBJ has been a star since he entered the league. He has yet to have a season with less than 1,300 receiving yards. He's a home-run hitter and can score at any time -- racking up 534 yards after the catch (YAC) in 2016. Both of these players demand the full attention of opposing defenses. It'll be interesting to see if anyone can stop this tandem."
Here's Wayne's complete Top 5, in reverse order:
- Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns, Jacksonville Jaguars
- Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree, Oakland Raiders
- Mike Evans and DeSean Jackson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders, Denver Broncos
- Odell Beckham Jr. and Brandon Marshall, New York Giants
This marks the second time in just a few weeks that the Giants receivers have earned some major recognition. In June, NFL Network's Kyle Brandt named the trio of Beckham Jr., Marshall and Shepard as the best wide receiver trio in the league.
