Saints connected to WR Chris Olave in 2022 NFL Mock Draft
By Justin Fried
It’s no secret that the New Orleans Saints need help at the wide receiver position. And it’s very likely that the team will look to address that need come next offseason.
The 2022 NFL Draft has a chance to be rich with wide receiver talent, just as the previous two draft classes have been. And one player seems to have already emerged as the top option.
That player is Ohio State’s Chris Olave who the Saints were recently connected to in an early 2022 NFL Mock Draft from Ian Cummings of Pro Football Network.
Cummings had the Saints selecting the talented Buckeyes wideout with the 11th overall pick in his mock. And it’s hard to argue with that choice.
Chris Olave would be a great addition for the New Orleans Saints next April
Olave was already considered a potential first-round pick in this year’s NFL Draft before he opted to return to school. The senior wide receiver finished last year with 50 catches for 729 yards and seven touchdowns in just seven games.
It was enough to earn him first-team All-Big Ten honors as he established himself as one of the best wide receivers in the country.
Olave has returned in 2021 as the de facto leader of a supremely talented group of wide receivers also featuring potential first-round pick Garrett Wilson.
In fact, Cummings’ mock draft had Wilson being taken with the very next selection by the Las Vegas Raiders. Don’t be surprised if Olave and Wilson are the first two wide receiver off the board this April.
Olave is a smooth route-runner with excellent deep speed and sure hands to boot. He’s one of the most explosive players in this draft class, but he combines that dynamic playmaking ability with unmatched technical prowess.
With a big senior season, Olave can firmly establish himself as the best wide receiver in his draft class.
The Saints are desperately in need of a wide receiver at the moment. Aside from Michael Thomas, the Saints are hoping that the likes of Marquez Callaway and Tre’Quan Smith could hold down the fort in 2021.
But it’s clear that the team could use another playmaker at the position.
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With that in mind, Olave makes a ton of sense. Expect him to be a popular target for the Saints in mock drafts, assuming they’re in a position to take him.