With the 11th pick in the 2022 NFL draft, the X select Ohio State WR Chris Olave.
GRADE: B.
The Saints traded up from 16th to 11th with the Washington Commanders, giving up the 16th, 98th, and 120th picks. They obviously didn’t think that Olave would be there a few picks later, and that makes sense if you want a lithe, opportunistic receiver who knows how to get open above all. Olave isn’t the most physical receiver in this class, but he doesn’t have to be with the way he separates. There’s a bit of a hit here in the grade because I think that Jameson Williams would have been the better bet here, but perhaps the Saints were put off by Williams’ recovery from injury.
Mark Schofield’s scouting report:
Height: 6’0″ (44th) Weight: 187 (20th)
40-Yard Dash: 4.39 seconds (86th)
Bench Press: N/A
Vertical Jump: 32 inches (12th)
Broad Jump: 10’4″ (69th)
3-Cone Drill: N/A
20-Yard Shuttle: N/A
Bio: Despite putting up big numbers for Mission Hills High School in San Marcos, California, Chris Olave was graded as a three-star recruit by both 247Sports and ESPN. Still, he entertained offers from a number of schools, including Tennessee and Oregon State, but chose Ohio State to play for Ryan Day and wide receivers coach Brian Hartline.
Olave contributed immediately as a freshman, both as a receiver and on special teams. He caught 12 catches for 197 yards and a three touchdowns as a freshman, and even blocked a punt in Ohio State’s huge 2018 win over Michigan. During the 2019 campaign, Olave caught 49 passes for 849 yards and 12 touchdowns, averaging 17.3 yards per reception.
In the shortened 2020 campaign, Olave caught 50 passes for 729 yards and eight touchdowns, over just seven contests. Last season he continued his high level of production, catching 65 passes for 936 yards and 13 touchdowns, despite playing with another receiver in Garrett Wilson who is going to join him in the first round.
Stat to Know: Olave holds the Ohio State school record for career touchdown receptions with 35.
Strengths: The ability to run a “full route tree” is often overblown when it comes to evaluating wide receivers for the draft. After all, any good offensive coordinator is going to identify what a receiver does best and find ways to use him on such concepts.
Still, when you see a prospect come out with the ability to give you everything int the playbook on Day One, you take notice. Olave offers that. He is a silky-smooth route runner, who can slide into any offensive system and give his play-caller what he needs right out of the box. One of my favorite routes from him this past season highlights how he can use pace and creativity to set up defenders. Against Michigan, Olave aligns on the right side and runs a comeback route:
After an initial stutter-step at the line, Olave bends to the outside and starts to sell the defender on the vertical route. Right before he snaps to the sideline on the comeback, Olave looks back for the football, selling the cornerback on the nine route even more. He then sinks his hips and breaks back towards the sideline, getting a ton of separation on his break.
On this route against Oregon, Olave uses pace to sell the defender on the vertical route, but then does a good job at getting into the cornerback’s blind spot, working back towards the football as he separates from the coverage:
His feel for routes, his ability to setup defenders and his suddenness with his breaks makes him a complete route runner and a dangerous weapon in the passing game.
Weaknesses: Olave has solid hands, but there are moments where he lets the football into his frame rather than attacking the football. He also does not have the catch radius of other options in this class, and there were moments on film where he missed opportunities to high point the football. Olave is experienced against press, but longer, more physical cornerbacks could give him trouble at the line when he moves to the Sunday game.
Conclusion: Olave’s ability to separate against coverage, to setup defenders on his route and provide his NFL play-caller with a full route tree on Day One makes him one of the best options in this class. He is a scheme-diverse receiver who can play both inside and outside, giving his NFL offense a ton of options in the passing game.
Comparison: Olave’s ability to run the complete tree reminds me of Amari Cooper when he was coming out of Alabama. Cooper has a bit more bulk to his frame, and did as a prospect, but that full scheme picture is a nice piece to have as a prospect.