Chris Olave – Receiver – 21 – Senior – Ohio State
Cut : 1m85
Weight : 85Kg
Estimated draft position : 1st round
Stats 2021 : 65 receptions, 936 yards, 13 touchdowns in 12 games
NFL Comparison : Calvin Ridley (Falcons)
Strong points
– Speed
– Track runner
– Ability to catch balls
Former star of the track, Chris Olave has a speed largely adapted to the NFL. His time for 40 yards at the Combine is 4.39 seconds and, while that doesn’t make him the fastest receiver in the league or even this vintage, he has proven with Ohio State that he can get the better of a defense thanks to its speed.
But running fast isn’t enough to make you a good receiver at the highest level (hello John Ross). Olave also has incredible qualities as a track runner. He manages to follow his path surgically. He also has the ability to vary his pace and speed to both get rid of his direct opponent, but also to be in the perfect timing to receive the ball.
Additionally, Olave is a great receiver in his ability to simply catch the ball. He manages to find his way around the field perfectly to know where the ball is, what its course is and where the defender is. In addition, his hands are safe and he only releases a few balls (9 in 4 years at university). He also manages to hide the reception very well, deploying his hands very late so as not to alert a defender fixed on him, while securing the reception.
Weak points
– Lack of physicality and power
– Yards after receipt
If he has very interesting qualities for the teams, Chris Olave’s game lacks a real physical dimension. Not very tall or very strong, he can suffer against powerful cornerbacks. He’s also not very useful as a blocker in run or yard after contact situations. Olave’s lack of physicality is obvious in contested receiving situations. He doesn’t lose all the time and is able to catch balls, but it’s still well below average. He doesn’t look like a catcher that a pitcher is going to aim for in an emergency.
His qualities of speed and course running can allow him to make gaps, but rarely enough to allow him to move forward with the ball. In an NFL that sees the advent of players like Deebo Samuel, Chris Olave does not use enough changes of direction or false runs to completely put his opponent in the wind. His physique does not allow him to break tackles either. These points seem to be details, but it can make the difference in the eyes of an NFL staff in a very homogeneous class of receivers.
The stat
13 touchdowns in 12 games
Last season Chris Olave played 12 games for Ohio State and scored 13 touchdowns. This means he took the ball into the end zone more than once per game on average. He even scored points in 8 consecutive games in 2021. During his career at Columbus, he had 35 touchowns in 176 receptions, which means that about 1 in 5 balls caught by Chris Olave ended up in the end zone. With this impressive number of TDs, he even broke the Buckeyes record previously held by David Boston, who had scored 34. All in a university that has seen players like Cris Carter, Santonio Holmes, Michael Thomas or Terry McLaurin.
Possible destinations
New Orleans Saints, Green Bay Packers, Los Angeles Chargers, Washington Commanders, New England Patriots
Long considered the number receiver of this 2022 class, Chris Olave finally saw many talented players fall on him, while he did not explode as much as expected. Still, there’s no doubt that Olave will leave on day one, in a team that needs to bolster their aerial attack.
With the repeated absences of Michael Thomas, the Saints could be tempted to offer Jameis Winston a quality target with great potential. In addition, New Orleans has 2 first round picks, the 16th and the 19th, perfectly in the places around which Chris Olave is expected. Green Bay, with their big hole in the post, and the Chargers and Patriots, with their young quarterbacks, could also want to grab Olave. Unless these teams are tempted by another receiver, the 2022 class possessing many talents worthy of a first round with different profiles.
