San Francisco 49ers

49ers' Reid surprised at rapid rise of ex-college teammate Beckham

Published Oct. 7, 2015 7:37 p.m. ET

foxsports

The San Francisco 49ers have run the gauntlet against some of the league's top wide receivers in the past three weeks and there's no let-up in sight.

After facing Pittsburgh's Antonio Brown, Arizona's Larry Fitzgerand and Green Bay's Randall Cobb, the struggling 49ers must brace for the league's human highlight reel when they visit Odell Beckham Jr. and the New York Giants on Sunday night.

Odell Beckham Jr. now has the most receiving yards by any player in his first 16 games in NFL history #NYGvsBUF ?? pic.twitter.com/1zNJNZIQRO
— NFL (@NFL) October 4, 2015

Few players are more aware of the daunting challenge Beckham presents than San Francisco safety Eric Reid, who was a college teammate of New York's second-year wideout at Louisiana State.

"I thought he would be one of the elite receivers in this league, I just didn't think it would happen so fast," Reid told the team's official website on Wednesday. "He's done a ton of stuff in just one year."

Reid and the 49ers squared off against Beckham last November and came away with a 16-10 victory as Beckham finished with six catches for 93 yards. "As a DB, we just gotta stay tight on him because if the balls in the air he's going after it," Reid said.

The Niners were gashed by both Brown and Fitzgerald in successive weeks before limiting Cobb to five catches for 44 yards, providing a confidence boost entering the matchup versus Beckham.

“He’s a very talented wide receiver. He’s on the face of Madden, man," 49ers defensive back Jimmie Ward said. "It’s going to be fun. Matchups like that are just fun, playing against the superstars.”