We're less than two months away from regular season action. In 53 days the New Orleans Saints will face off against the Arizona Cardinals in the first game of the season. As we continue our countdown to kickoff, Chris Olave makes his first appearance on the list.
His 53-yard reception against the Los Angeles Rams during his rookie season finally lands the Saints top wide receiver a play of the day nomination. This catch was one of the highlights from his rookie season, and gave New Orleans enough points to secure a victory over the Rams.
There was a lot of chaos around Olave as a rookie, but he persevered to have an impactful rookie campaign. He was unexpectedly thrown into the fire as the top receiver. This pass is a great example. Olave caught this pass from Andy Dalton, who wasn't supposed to be the starting quarterback.
Chris Olave flashes his underrated speed en route to the longest catch of his Saints career
Rashid Shaheed is typically known as the burner of the receiving corps. His propensity to stretch the field tends to overshadow Olave's speed, but it's there. This play is proof of that. It wasn't anything special. It was a streak down the field, and Olave beat the man in front of him.
This wasn't just any cornerback either. This was Jalen Ramsey fresh off back to back first team All-Pro seasons. Olave went by him like it was nothing. Ramsey was in off coverage on the play and couldn't flip his hips quick enough once Olave ate away at the cushion. By the time Dalton's pass landed in Olave's hands, the rookie had a few steps on Ramsey.
This reception was the longest of Olave's rookie season, and it remains the longest of his career to this day. As mentioned earlier, Shaheed has been the primary deep ball threat over the past few years. The lack of deep shots for Olave is more indicative of usage than capabilities. It'll be interesting to see if Kellen Moore uses Olave down the field more often than he's been used in the past.