It’s tough to undersell just how important Chris Olave is to the New Orleans Saints. The 23-year-old wide receiver is the focal point of their passing attack, with all the skills and athletic traits needed to succeed in the modern NFL.
And he was recognized on ESPN’s All-Youngster Team of 2023, assembled by analysts Matt Miller and Matt Bowen as a highlight of the NFL’s best players under 24 years of age. Here’s what Miller had to say in justifying Olave’s place on the first team:
Olave broke out in his rookie season, catching 72 passes for 1,042 yards and four touchdowns in 2022. He’s a silky-smooth route runner with excellent quickness and the agility to tie up the feet of defensive backs. His numbers are quieter this season — 63 catches, 771 yards and three TDs — but Olave has all the traits to be a perennial All-Pro candidate.
Olave was joined by Ja’Marr Chase and Garrett Wilson on the first team, with George Pickens, Puka Nacua, and Jordan Addison backing him up. The sky is the limit for him given Olave’s clean routes, reliable hands (he’s dropped just two passes on 103 targets this year after dropping seven of them on 119 targets in his rookie season), and high-end athleticism.
But he can’t get the Saints up to speed on his own. New Orleans must make better of use of its draft resources to add more young talent as their core players continue to age. The Saints have spent 22 picks in the last four draft classes, but just six of them are playing more than 50% of snaps on offense (Olave, right guard Cesar Ruiz, and left tackle Trevor Penning, who was benched) or defense (linebacker Pete Werner, cornerbacks Paulson Adebo and Alontae Taylor). That’s not a great use of resources, and it’s why they don’t have more players included on these “best under 24” lists.
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