Study: Odell Beckham Jr. most-followed NFL player on Instagram

Aug. 8 (UPI) -- A new study found Odell Beckham Jr. is the most-followed NFL player on Instagram, with more than twice the followers of second place Tom Brady.

The New York Giants wide receiver ranks No. 1 on the list with 10.5 million followers on the social media platform, according to the study conducted by OnlineGambling.ca. The New England Patriots quarterback and five-time Super Bowl champion Brady had 4 million followers, as does Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton.

Seattle Seahawks gunslinger Russell Wilson ranks No. 4 with 3.3 million followers. Houston Texans defender J.J. Watt ranks No. 5 with 3.1 million. Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski (2.6 million), Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott (2.5 million), Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown (2.4 million), San Francisco 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman (2.1 million) and Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman (1.7 million) round out the top 10.

Across all sports, Cristiano Ronaldo is the king of Instagram. The Juventus forward has 131 million followers, but still trails singer Selena Gomez, who has 135 million.

Ariana Grande, Beyonce and Kim Kardashian also outdraw Beckham and his NFL brethren.

The study also combined the top five players on each team to find the most-followed teams. The Giants claimed the top spot there, raking in 2.48 million followers on Instagram. The Patriots ranked second, outpacing the Steelers, Texans, Seahawks, Panthers, Cowboys, Oakland Raiders, 49ers and Denver Broncos in the top 10.

Beckham has more Instagram followers than the top five Cowboys and Eagles players combined.

The NFC rules the AFC when it comes to followers on the platform. The study compiled the average of the top five players from each team by conference to find the most-followed conference and division. The top NFC players have 53.7 million followers, while their AFC counterparts have 44.5 million.

The NFC East is the most-followed division, pulling in 1.12 million followers. The NFC West ranked second at 678,000. The NFC North is the least-followed division.