When you hear the name Odell Beckham, you immediately think of the New York Giants’ playmaker who somehow comes down with the ball one-handed and takes easy slants to the house. He’s often regarded as one of the best wide receivers in the NFL, but is he the best?

We can look to the Giants Week 3 matchup with the Eagles this season and see the impact he made. Although the Giants suffered a heartbreaking 27-24 loss as time expired, the reason they even put up a fight to their NFC East foes was because of Beckham. Despite playing a limited number of snaps due to his preseason ankle injury, Beckham made his presence felt. He recorded a team high nine receptions along with 79 yards and two highlight reel touchdowns.

Beckham’s first touchdown was a toe tapping back of the end zone grab, which shows the tremendous concentration and footwork he has.

If that wasn’t enough, Beckham showed off his signature one handed grab in the endzone while being smothered by a Philadelphia defender.

Beckham missed the first game of the season and played in an even more limited amount of snaps in Week 2, but when he takes the field, he’s a force to be reckoned with. He has not shown the signature burst of speed that he has while taking slants for 80 yard touchdowns, but even when he’s injured, he’s still so much faster than most NFL level defensive backs. Despite his track level speed not being put on display yet, Beckham has still shown that his hands, instincts, and overall energy are a combination even the finest of NFL receivers don’t have.

Top wide receivers such as Antonio Brown and Julio Jones are often names that come up in the best receiver discussion with Beckham, but despite their abilities, their teams still have success without them. When Brown and Jones have been hurt, their teams have been competitive and have even won some games. Last season, the Falcons topped 40 points twice without their top receiver, and the Steelers were able to put up some points against a tough the eventual Champion Denver Broncos despite not having Brown.

When Odell Beckham has been out, the Giants look like a completely different team. Week 1, they were able to get little done on offense, not even scoring a single touchdown and looking out of sorts. Week 2 wasn’t any better as Beckham was limited and the other receivers were not able to get open. There’s no coincidence that the Giants best offensive game of the season so far came with the return of Beckham to the lineup.

Jared Cohen, a Junior, commented, “Odell’s presence alone makes the Giants a better team. Coaches have to change their game plan when he’s on the opposite side of the field, as he is a threat to score on any given snap. He is the heart and soul of the Giants and because of that on top of his skills, no other receiver in the league is on his level. Other teams survive without their receivers, the game is already over before it began when Odell isn’t playing.”

Odell Beckham is definitely among the top wide receivers in the NFL, but there is certainly a great argument that he is the best of them all.