How is Chris Olave still underrated? The New Orleans Saints wide receiver roared into the NFL with back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, but he’s having trouble getting respect even from those in the know at Pro Football Focus.
PFF’s Sam Monson shared his rankings for the top 32 receivers going into 2024, and they’re a mess. It’s bad enough that Olave was ranked behind players who haven’t even run a route in the NFL, with rookies like Malik Nabers (No. 25) and Marvin Harrison Jr. (No. 21) both ahead of him. But Olave is also ranked behind wideouts who have been in the league as long as him without achieving as much as he has, like Drake London and Garrett Wilson.
London is still searching for his first 1,000-yard season when Olave is already well over 2,000 yards in his career. He’s played in three fewer games than Wilson and caught 19 fewer passes but gained more yards and scored more touchdowns. The Offensive Rookie of the Year voters got it wrong in recognizing Wilson over Olave for that award in 2022, and we’re still mad about it.
Monson ranked Olave all the way down at No. 27 out of the game’s 32 best receivers, but he did have some nice things to say about him:
A smooth mover, Chris Olave averaged 2.07 yards per route run last season and has 49 explosive plays over his first two seasons in the league. With Derek Carr playing well down the stretch, Olave could have a big year in 2024.
Hopefully Klint Kubiak’s offense and a more-confident Carr lead to even greater heights for Olave in 2024. But he should already be seen as a top-20 player at his position. Just 15 players around the NFL have converted more first downs since he turned pro, and one of them is a tight end (Travis Kelce). Olave deserves more respect. Let’s hope he plays so loud in 2024 that national writers can’t keep ignoring him.
[lawrence-auto-related count=4]