Chris Olave was a star receiver at Ohio State for multiple years. Many analysts thought he would declare for the 2021 NFL Draft but Olave opted to return for the 2021 season and may have risen his stock. Lets hop into Olave’s tape and see where he stands in regards to the other WR prospects.
Strengths: Chris Olave is a playmaking WR for the Ohio State Buckeyes. He is a dynamic deep threat with an impressive ability to sneak behind the defense and get wide open. He displays a good football IQ and shows the ability to find the holes in coverage and take advantage of them. Olave is quick, which allows him to create separation from defensive backs. He shows an impressive ability to change up his speed while running routes, which adds additional nuance and technique to his routes. Olave runs a decent variety of routes. He consistently gets open and has reliable hands. He shows a good ability to find and locate the ball in the air. Along with being an effective deep threat, Olave is productive catching the ball across the middle. He shows great balance and body control while making catches along the sideline. Olave shows the important ability to shadow his quarterback and be a safety net when his quarterback scrambles or is in trouble. He was a reliable target for both Justin Fields and CJ Stroud. He is a willing blocker.
Weaknesses: Olave’s routes can be rounded and aren’t very crisp. He lacks some suddenness in his cuts, which could hinder his ability to create separation at the NFL level. Although Olave is a deep threat, he lacks elite, burner speed, and may struggle a little bit to be as productive as a deep threat. Due to Olave’s size he struggles with contested catches and being physical at the catch point. Olave struggles after the catch because of his speed and lack of physicality. He doesn’t break a lot of tackles after the catch. He also didn’t really improve on his weaknesses from 2020 to 2021.
Bottom Line: Olave is a well rounded receiver who lacks any one specific elite trait. He is athletic and fast enough. He is smart, and finds the holes in coverage and is a reliable target for scrambling QBs. You will know exactly what you are getting with Chris Olave. I think Olave will be a very productive wide receiver at the NFL level; his skill set would suit him best in a slot receiver role.
Grade: 2.2
