Chris Olave Drafted by Saints: New Orleans’ Updated Depth Chart After Round 1
Emilee Chinn/Getty Images
The New Orleans Saints selected Ohio State wide
receiver Chris Olave with the No. 11 overall selection in the
2022 NFL draft on Thursday in Las Vegas.
Olave is coming off a strong senior
season with the Buckeyes that saw him tally 65 receptions for 936
yards and 13 touchdowns in 11 games. He found the end zone at least
once in nine different contests.
The 21-year-old California native
showcased a consistent ability to score touchdowns during his time at
OSU, putting up 35 scores in 38 appearances at the college level. That’s the most TD receptions in the storied history of the program.
He’ll look to carry that success to the
NFL with the Saints. Here’s a look at where he’ll initially fit
on the team’s offensive depth chart:
WR 1: Michael Thomas
WR 2: Chris Olave
WR 3: Marquez Callaway, Tre’Quan Smith, Deonte Harris
Olave opted out of the Buckeyes’ Rose
Bowl clash with Utah on New Year’s Day to begin his draft
preparations, but he still traveled to the game to support his
teammates.
“I feel like I’m still part of the
team,” he told reporters. “I didn’t want to leave my guys. I just
wanted to support them. I was a starting receiver. Just to be able to
be there with them playing on the field. It was huge for them, it was
huge for me. I’m a team-first guy. Just to be here and support them.”
The 6’0”, 187-pound wideout features
an NFL-ready skill set that should allow him to make a smooth
transition to the next level. He’s shown the ability to play either
outside or in the slot, which should also help him get on the field
right away as a rookie.
Bleacher Report’s Nate Tice praised the
receiver’s route-running and ability to find soft spots in the
coverage as part of his pre-draft scouting report:
“Olave is a great route-runner with
polish. He shows an understanding of not only the routes he runs but
the concept that the offense is running and will tempo his routes
accordingly.
“Olave plays with balance and body
control, which allows him to battle through contact and also attack
defenders vertically before running by them or uncovering on a route.
His understanding of space is on display when he’s asked to run more
‘advanced’ routes and also during scramble drills, where he has to
find unoccupied areas of the field.”
Tice noted the one area where the
two-time First Team All-Big Ten selection could improve is run
blocking.
Olave has all the playmaking tools
necessary to eventually become a No. 1 receiver in the NFL. His rise
toward stardom in New Orleans may come via a steady incline rather
than the direct leap enjoyed by someone like the Cincinnati Bengals’
Ja’Marr Chase last season, though.
At the outset, he’ll handle work in
three-wide sets alongside Michael Thomas and Marquez Callaway in the
Saints passing game while trying to build a rapport with quarterback
Jameis Winston.
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