Saints’ Delvin Breaux could face toughest test yet in Odell Beckham Jr.
He’s coming home. The New York Giants and wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. travel to his native city Sunday to take on the New Orleans Saints in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. In case you’ve been living under a rock, the former LSU standout has quickly emerged into one of the better wide receivers in the NFL, thanks to his exceptional athleticism and extraordinary catching abilities. The Giants indeed have a remarkable weapon in OBJ, but the Saints have one of their own in cornerback Delvin Breaux.
Breaux, once an LSU-bound prospect himself, has been an absolute treasure in his rookie year for New Orleans. If it wasn’t for a devastating neck injury in high school nine years ago that ended his dreams of playing with the Tigers in Baton Rouge, the former CFL star would have likely been doing these things in the NFL several years ago.
Former Tiger Tyrann Mathieu aka “Honey Badger” even compared Breaux to stud cornerback Patrick Peterson (Mathieu’s college and pro teammate) before the the Saints clashed with the Arizona Cardinals for their season opener.
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Yes, Delvin Breaux is that good. Through seven games, he’s panning out to be one of the biggest offseason bargains for any team. In fact, he’s been thrown at 41 times this year, allowing only 18 catches for a completion percentage 43.9%, which is good for second among cornerbacks.
He shut down Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones, holding him to just two receptions. If it weren’t for a pair of trips last week against Indianapolis Colts wideout T.Y. Hilton that unfortunately allowed gains of 87 and 46 yards, then Breaux would have held him to just two catches for 17 yards.
Even with Jones and Hilton on the resume, Delvin Breaux may have yet to face his toughest test. Yes, I’m talking bout Odell Beckham Jr. Breaux and OBJ could be one of the best matchups we see in the NFL this year. Breaux’s coverage abilities and physical style are ideal for OBJ’s athleticism and impressive hands, and vice versa. I’m sure both are up for the challenge.
Giants coach Tom Coughlin said he expects Delvin Breaux to be on Beckham Jr. all day Sunday. It’d be wrong to think otherwise. While Breaux continues to get praise from fans, players and his coaching staff, Saints coach Sean Payton mentioned how OBJ was “one of the most impressive pro days in regards to receiver workouts.”
While New Orleans would have loved to continued to be home to the native OBJ, he didn’t fall far enough down the draft board a year ago. The Giants took the former LSU star with the No. 12 overall pick in 2014, so the Saints traded up and settled with Brandin Cooks at No. 20, which is certainly not a bad thing.
Odell Beckham Jr. is indeed a special player, but cornerback Delvin Breaux will do all he can to keep him in check in hopes of leading his defense to another stellar performance. Breaux and the Saints seek their third win in a row when they host the Giants at noon Sunday in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. It’s going to be a fun game to watch.
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