Jerry Rice had 49 receptions for 927 yards and three touchdowns as a rookie in 1985. That was a darn good start for greatest wide receiver (and arguably player) to ever play the game.

Odell Beckham Jr. blew those numbers away in his rookie season. He did so in just 12 games with Eli Manning, not Joe Montana throwing the football. Beckham had 91 receptions for 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Jerry Rice

"I think with Odell Beckham, the way he can catch the football, the way he can get separation, he has to continue to work hard," Rice says. "If he does that, I think everything else is going to come. He had an incredible year last year and I'm sure his expectations are the same this year."

After his Pro Bowl rookie season and highlight-reel catch against the Cowboys, Beckham is not going to sneak up on anyone in 2015.

Odell One Hand

"I don't think he's going to be one of these guys who has one good year and then completely disappears," Rice says. "I think he's going to be around a long time."

Despite being only 21 years old at the start of the 2014 season, Beckham played like a veteran. Rice has his own advice for rookies:

"Work hard and latch on to a leader that's going to lead by example," he says. "That's what I did with Dwight Clark, Freddie Solomon, Joe Montana and Ronnie Lott. I watched those guys in how they prepared and how they were professionals."

In this year's rookie class, Rice expects the Raiders' Amari Cooper, the fourth overall pick from Alabama, to be a breakout star at wide receiver.

Another of Rice's former teams, the 49ers, had a disastrous offseason. The franchise parted ways with head coach Jim Harbaugh, lost defensive stalwarts Patrick Willis, Justin Smith and Chris Borland to retirement and released Aldon Smith after his third DUI. Long time Niners Frank Gore, Michael Crabtree and Chris Culliver let free agency take them elsewhere.

Jerry Rice Steve Young

"I think you rebound by winning football games and you find a way," Rice says, noting there is some optimism in linebacker NaVorro Bowman returning from a torn ACL and MCL injury.

Torrey Smith, Reggie Bush and Darnell Dockett are new additions.

"The Niners are going to have to find themselves, and they're going to be able to sneak up on some teams," he says. "The NFC West, it's going to be more difficult because the Rams have gotten better, the Cardinals are better, Seattle's going to make a run."

Super Bowl 50 will be at their home, Levi's Stadium, in Santa Clara, but the 49ers are a long shot to get there. They are listed at 48/1 odds to win the NFC.

Jerry Rice is currently a spokesperson for Lysol, where he is working with America's Healthiest Team for the second year. The program includes six high school students from across the nation who were challenged to a ten-week summer training program.

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-- Follow Jeffrey Eisenband on Twitter @JeffEisenband.