Michael Irvin had the opportunity to keep Odell Beckham Jr. from playing with New York Giants teammate Eli Manning in Sunday’s NFL Pro Bowl.

Instead, Irvin chose Seattle’s Russell Wilson with the No. 1 pick in Wednesday’s player draft at Wheeler Army Airfield.

Jerry Rice, the NFL Hall of Famer who opposes Irvin as head coaches in this year’s game, quickly pounced on Manning, uniting one of the NFL’s top pass-catching duos.

The Manning-to-Beckham combo could be the difference Sunday as the Pro Bowl returns to Aloha Stadium for the first time in two years.

The game last year was in Glendale, home of the Super Bowl a week later, which featured Irvin’s team beating Cris Carter’s squad, 32-28.

Rice was a captain the first time the NFL switched from a conference alignment to a draft-style event in 2014, when he beat Deion Sanders’ team 22-21 at Aloha Stadium.

The two winning coaches square off this year with Rice pairing Beckham Jr., who along with Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald were Rice’s previously chosen player captains, with Manning, who was named to his fourth Pro Bowl as an alternate.

“It just fun out here,” said Manning, who threw for 4,436 yards and 35 touchdowns this past season. “The guys you might play against them, you might not play against them that year, but you come out here and the kids get to know each other, the wives get to know each other and it’s a great week.”

Beckham Jr., who Rice chose first during Tuesday’s press conference after winning a coin toss to determine the player co-captains, didn’t pay much attention to the actual draft.

“I guess we ended up getting my quarterback, so it’s cool,” Beckham Jr. said as he hopped on the bus.

Beckham Jr. has made the Pro Bowl in each of his first two seasons in the NFL, compiling 2,755 yards and 25 touchdowns in his first 27 professional games.

The teams will get to practice together for the first time this morning. Rice chose the Kansas City coaching staff for his team, led by Andy Reid, who will call the plays.

Reid is without his offensive coordinator, Doug Pederson, who was hired earlier this month to replace Chip Kelly in Philadelphia.

If he needs someone to take Pederson’s place, he might not have to look far as his starting quarterback in the Pro Bowl is well qualified to handle the duties.

“We’ve got a few plays we’ve run over the years (with the Giants) that I might have to throw into the offense,” said Manning, who is one of 11 quarterbacks to win at least two Super Bowls. “We’ll figure out who my coach will be and we’ll get with them … hopefully (Odell and I) can be on the same page and book up and get a couple of touchdowns.”

Wilson, who is the only one of six quarterbacks originally selected to the game that didn’t pull out, was the first player not named Andrew Luck taken No. 1 in the three-year history of the draft format.

Irvin paired him with Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones, who was selected with the third overall pick. The next two players chosen were on the other side of the ball as Oakland Raiders linebacker Khalil Mack went fourth and Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman went fifth.

Wilson, Sherman, returner/wide receiver Tyler Lockett, linebacker Bobby Wagner and defensive lineman Michael Bennett represent the Seahawks this year. Seattle hasn’t had a player in the Pro Bowl since 2013 after making the Super Bowl each of the last two seasons.

“It’s bittersweet (being here),” said Bennett, who lives in Hawaii Kai during the offseason. “Going to the Super Bowl is like falling in love. It’s hard to find something better than falling in love the first time. The Pro Bowl is great but the Super Bowl is better.”

At last count, 128 NFL players had made the Pro Bowl with 42 players pulling out, including four Broncos and 10 Panthers playing in the Super Bowl instead.

All seven Patriots selected to the game declined the invite and only two of the seven Cardinals, who were eliminated last Sunday in the NFC Championship game, made the trip.

Quarterbacks Tom Brady, Cam Newton, Carson Palmer, Aaron Rodgers and Ben Roethlisberger, along with Wilson, were originally invited to the game.

They were replaced by Derek Carr, Teddy Bridgewater, Manning, Jameis Winston and Tyrod Taylor.