Every year during the summer, the wide receiver class is the one that gets the most attention. In the last couple years, the draft has seem some incredible classes, like the depth in 2020, and the elite guys in 2021. While the 2022 NFL Draft might not have the top tier star power just yet, the class is still forming up to be a good one. The conversation for the 2022 NFL Draft will often start with the two prospects on the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Garrett Wilson is tremendous, and should be treated as such, but Chris Olave will find his name near the top of the conversation as well. Olave could’ve entered the 2021 draft, but decided to return to school for his senior season.
Olave was a four star recruit according to 247Sports, and was a three-sport athlete in high school, playing basketball and running track along with football. In track, Olave ran a 10.8 100 yard dash and jumped 23 feet, six inches in the long jump. During his senior year, Olave caught 93 passes for 1,764 yards and a whopping 26 touchdowns.
Despite a loaded receiver room, Olave broke out in his sophomore season with the Buckeyes, catching 48 passes for 840 yards and 12 touchdowns. In just seven games in 2020, Olave had over 100 yards per game receiving and caught a touchdown per game. His numbers would’ve been eye-popping had the Big Ten played a full season.
By going back to school, Olave can prove he belongs at the top of the wide receiver pedestal in the coming draft.
So how does Buckeyes wide receiver Chris Olave stack up with the other 2022 NFL Draft prospects?
Let’s dive in to his early scouting report right now and detail his game, which checks a lot of boxes.
Strengths of Olave’s Game
There’s a reason Olave checks every box. It starts with what he does well at the line of scrimmage. His release game is impressive, and he does vary things up, from working quickly into a speed release or using jabs and hesitation moves at the line to create some deception. Olave also can win quickly on the slant route with his quickness and burst at the line.
As a vertical threat, Olave thrives. His work on a vertical plane is extremely impressive. He displays good hesitation moves in his stem to freeze corners and create vertical separation, has a good grasp on double moves, and wins well on comeback routes along with “nine” routes vertically down the field. His release, combined with the burst and straight line speed he possesses, give him a great advantage in this area. Olave stacks corners with ease and does a great job maintaining that leverage and position through the catch point.
Olave has all of the intangibles as well, and some of the best in the 2022 NFL Draft class right now. He has great hands and always plucks the football away from his frame. His work to find space against zone coverage makes him extremely reliable, and he constantly works back to the football when targeted in the short and intermediate areas of the field.
Olave does have a complete route tree, and can be a three level threat. While his routes are more smooth than crisp, his burst will be his calling card, especially on horizontal routes.
After the catch, Olave does a good job staying patient while blocks get into place on designed screens, and can maximize yardage with that speed and burst.
Weaknesses in Olave’s Game
The weaknesses for Olave are few and far between, but there are things he can work on before the 2022 NFL Draft next April.
Against more physical corners in man coverage, Olave needs to work on his hand usage to gain separation and leverage early in his stem. If he can be quick with his hands in a consistent fashion, he will have no issues in man coverage whatsoever, no matter who he lines up against.
Olave’s deception within his stem is well-documented, but if he can incorporate that into the top of his route stems more consistently, he will be a lethal route runner in 2021 and at the next level.
Dynamism is a word that’s popped up more recently in draft circles, and for Olave, it’s something we see in a straight line, but not in his agility. He doesn’t have the flexibility/agility combo to often make defenders miss in space, and that creeps into his routes as well.
Ball security is something to watch with Olave heading into the season. While he didn’t lose many fumbles in 2020, the ball ended up on the ground a few times, and he lucked out with his team recovering the ball. Hopefully he doesn’t make that a trend going forward.
Final Thoughts and 2022 NFL Draft Outlook
Chris Olave has a very good game for the NFL level, and there’s a reason he’s listed at or near the top of 2022 NFL Draft watch lists. His ability on a vertical plane is excellent, and he’s one of the top deep ball threats in the country. The intangibles are very good, and while his through break transitions aren’t super crisp, they are smooth enough to work in the NFL when combined with the burst Olave has.
Will he be the preseason WR1? For some, he will because he’s an established star. For others, the lack of dynamism and lower ceiling might lead them to pick someone else at the top.
Right now, Olave looks like a bona fide WR2 for the NFL. He’s unlikely to become an alpha dog WR1, but he can be a great deep threat and route salesman in the NFL. If he cleans up his hand usage near the line of scrimmage it will qualm his biggest concern, and seeing a more consistent plan at the top of his stem will be huge. Olave will find himself on that round one radar, but could end up as a high second round selection. Time will tell, but his game checks all the important boxes, which is important for his stock.