Giants' Beckham named first alternate for Pro Bowl

Odell Beckham Jr. was not named as a Pro Bowl player on Tuesday night, but his status as a first alternate (combined with the regularity with which players often drop out of the game) leaves a good chance that he will wind up playing among the NFL's elite on Jan. 25 in Arizona.

If he does, Beckham will be the first Giants rookie to appear in the game since Jeremy Shockey in 2002. He'll also be the third Giants wide receiver to appear in the Pro Bowl in the last six seasons. Steve Smith went after the 2009 season and Victor Cruz following 2012. Prior to them, though, the Giants hadn't had a receiver honored with an invitation since Homer Jones in 1968.

Beckham finished 12th in fan voting for the Pro Bowl, which counts for one-third of the selection process. Votes by players and coaches each count for the other two-thirds. Beckham missed the first four games of the season with a hamstring injury, perhaps hurting his candidacy. In 11 games, though, he has caught 79 passes for 1,120 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul was selected as a fourth alternate for the Pro Bowl. Safety Antrel Rolle, the lone Giant in last year's game and the only member of the team to be in the top 10 in fan voting at his position this season (he finished eighth at strong safety), was not named as an alternate.

Beckham, a first-round pick in the spring, clearly was the breakout star of the season for the Giants and will likely win Offensive Rookie of the Year. Only four other rookies in NFL history have attained Beckham's 1,120 receiving yards and 11 touchdown receptions: Green Bay's Billy Howton (1952), Chicago's Harlon Hill (1954), Houston's Bill Groman (1960) and Minnesota's Randy Moss (1998).

By Tom Rock

tom.rock@newsday.com@TomRock_Newsday

Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.