In the 2014 NFL Draft, Odell Beckham Jr. pondered life with the Lions. Detroit had the No. 10 pick and Beckham thought there was a chance he would land with Matthew Stafford and a talented cast of receivers that included Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate. The Lions took Eric Ebron instead, and Beckham Jr. went two picks later to the Giants.
Odell became a superstar in New York, while the Lions continued to struggle. How times have changed: Beckham Jr. is now on the backside of his career with the Ravens, while the Lions are finally on the rise. Baltimore hosts Detroit on Sunday in a battle of first-place teams.
And Beckham Jr. has nothing but respect for the way the Lions are putting their past behind them under Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes.
"I love the stories when teams have just been down for long and they’re like, ‘No more. Enough is enough,'" Beckham Jr. said Wednesday. "And I think Dan Campbell over there has done a great job. With the players that they have surrounding them, they’ve created a great atmosphere, energy and team."
Beckham Jr., 30, signed a one-year deal with the Ravens after missing all of last season due to the torn ACL he suffered in the Super Bowl the season prior with the Rams. He's far from the electric talent he once was, but he can still make plays. The Lions will have to watch him closely Sunday.
Beckham, meanwhile, has enjoyed watching the Lions.
"Knowing that this is one of the top teams in the league, it’s going to be a great game," he said. "There is nothing but respect, and we all just want to go out there and battle.”