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Leading up to the 2022 NFL Draft starting on April 28th, Steeler Nation will be releasing several draft profiles of prospects who could potentially see themselves on the Pittsburgh Steelers. Next up for the Steelers…
Olave stands in at 6′ tall while weighing 187lbs, and is one of the most complete wide receivers in this draft class.
Chris Olave is a former 3-star prospect from California that made the journey to the Mid-West and became one of the elite wide receivers in college football. He made an impression as true freshman by catching 2 touchdowns in the team’s biggest game of the year against the Michigan Wolverines, their rival. He then went on to put on a receiving clinic for three straight seasons, catching 163 passes for 2,505 yards and 32 touchdowns across 31 games.
Chris Olave catches touchdown in 2020 College Football Playoff Semi-Final game against Clemson. Credit: USA Today Sports
The Steelers definitely need to fill out their wide receiver room, as they currently only have two with a role in the offense. Olave could provide an instant impact and allow Matt Canada to move people around the offense without restrictions.
COLUMBUS, OHIO – NOVEMBER 20: Chris Olave #2 of the Ohio State Buckeyes catches a pass for a touchdown during the first half of a game against the Michigan State Spartans at Ohio Stadium on November 20, 2021 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
Steeler Nation would be hard pressed to find as mature of a route runner as Olave in any draft, not just this one. Olave has experience running virtually every route, from any alignment, and to all three levels. He was able to do that with incredible attention to detail too, having exceptional mechanics throughout his entire route. He gets low into his breaks and he rarely has any wasted steps throughout his route. His advanced route running at the college level let him get more separation than most across all of his routes. Most college corners are not able to keep up with his level of acceleration and route running polish. That will get slightly more difficult for him in the NFL however, but he should still be able to get separation on a regular basis. Olave could afford to be more physical at the top of routes using his body to create additional separation, but that is something that I am sure he will add to his repertoire in the future.
Acceleration and overall speed are Olave’s greatest assets when looking at his physical tools. He gets up to top speed in very few steps and is able to get up on defenders quickly. His top speed is solid as well, as he will not give up any ground in a foot race once up to top speed either. The rest of his athletic profile is average for a wide receiver his size, as he isn’t extremely explosive or twitchy. This isn’t something that should limit him from becoming an extremely successful wide receiver in the NFL, but may limit his ability in contested catch situations or his ability to make people miss in space. After the catch, Olave does a good job running away from defenders and has good vision to get to the open field. He won’t typically break many tackles or make many people miss due to his overall build, but his speed and acceleration still makes him dangerous with the ball in his hands.
You could make a very compelling case that Olave has the highest IQ in terms of situational awareness and route running in the class at wide receiver. He always understands his role in the play and understands where he is on the field. The ability he displays to understand how to set up defenders based on their coverage is outstanding as well, as Olave shows the knowledge to vary his tempo throughout his route and make his break the second the defender flips his hips. I have been gushing about Olave’s polish as a route runner, but his hands are also very good. He is a natural hands catcher that easily plucks the ball out of the air and tucks it into his body quickly to not allow defenders a chance to knock it away. He does occasionally make body catches when he doesn’t need to, but it hasn’t effected him much to this point.
This is going to draw some critiques since both of these players are former Ohio State wide receivers, but there are a lot of similarities. Both are very polished route runners for their age and have great acceleration that leads to good top end speed. Terry McLaurin didn’t have the same career trajectory that Olave has had, but both have the same tools. Both also were players very willing to play special teams and could be assets there as well.
Once Olave ran a 4.39s 40-yard dash at the scouting combine, he cemented himself as a sure-fire first round pick. He could go as high as the early teens or as low as the late 20s, but he will definitely hear his name called on day 1 of the draft.
Let us know below what you think about Olave as a prospect and the potential of seeing him in the Black and Gold! What other prospects would you be interested in seeing a profile on? Click to comment below!
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Chris Olave (Wide Receiver), Ohio State, Senior
Olave stands in at 6′ tall while weighing 187lbs, and is one of the most complete wide receivers in this draft class.
Overview
Chris Olave is a former 3-star prospect from California that made the journey to the Mid-West and became one of the elite wide receivers in college football. He made an impression as true freshman by catching 2 touchdowns in the team’s biggest game of the year against the Michigan Wolverines, their rival. He then went on to put on a receiving clinic for three straight seasons, catching 163 passes for 2,505 yards and 32 touchdowns across 31 games.
Chris Olave catches touchdown in 2020 College Football Playoff Semi-Final game against Clemson. Credit: USA Today Sports
Pros:
- Good length
- Very good speed, 4.39s 40-yard dash
- Great acceleration, gets up to top speed faster than almost anyone
- NFL ready route tree
- Outside/inside versatility, can play all over the formation
- Polished route runner, well ahead of most college players
- Comfortable working all three levels of the field
- Very good tracking the ball in the air
- Natural hands
- High IQ with his route running
- Willing blocker in screens and the run game
- Has experience on special teams
Cons:
- Slighter build
- Won’t break many tackles after the catch, although can run away from defenders
- Not a great blocker due to his size
- Inconsistent in contested catch situations
- Could improve body usage to create separation, relied on his quickness and polished routes in college
- Press coverage at the LOS could give him issues
The Steelers definitely need to fill out their wide receiver room, as they currently only have two with a role in the offense. Olave could provide an instant impact and allow Matt Canada to move people around the offense without restrictions.
COLUMBUS, OHIO – NOVEMBER 20: Chris Olave #2 of the Ohio State Buckeyes catches a pass for a touchdown during the first half of a game against the Michigan State Spartans at Ohio Stadium on November 20, 2021 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
Route Running and Separation
Steeler Nation would be hard pressed to find as mature of a route runner as Olave in any draft, not just this one. Olave has experience running virtually every route, from any alignment, and to all three levels. He was able to do that with incredible attention to detail too, having exceptional mechanics throughout his entire route. He gets low into his breaks and he rarely has any wasted steps throughout his route. His advanced route running at the college level let him get more separation than most across all of his routes. Most college corners are not able to keep up with his level of acceleration and route running polish. That will get slightly more difficult for him in the NFL however, but he should still be able to get separation on a regular basis. Olave could afford to be more physical at the top of routes using his body to create additional separation, but that is something that I am sure he will add to his repertoire in the future.
Athleticism and RAC Ability
Acceleration and overall speed are Olave’s greatest assets when looking at his physical tools. He gets up to top speed in very few steps and is able to get up on defenders quickly. His top speed is solid as well, as he will not give up any ground in a foot race once up to top speed either. The rest of his athletic profile is average for a wide receiver his size, as he isn’t extremely explosive or twitchy. This isn’t something that should limit him from becoming an extremely successful wide receiver in the NFL, but may limit his ability in contested catch situations or his ability to make people miss in space. After the catch, Olave does a good job running away from defenders and has good vision to get to the open field. He won’t typically break many tackles or make many people miss due to his overall build, but his speed and acceleration still makes him dangerous with the ball in his hands.
IQ and Hands
You could make a very compelling case that Olave has the highest IQ in terms of situational awareness and route running in the class at wide receiver. He always understands his role in the play and understands where he is on the field. The ability he displays to understand how to set up defenders based on their coverage is outstanding as well, as Olave shows the knowledge to vary his tempo throughout his route and make his break the second the defender flips his hips. I have been gushing about Olave’s polish as a route runner, but his hands are also very good. He is a natural hands catcher that easily plucks the ball out of the air and tucks it into his body quickly to not allow defenders a chance to knock it away. He does occasionally make body catches when he doesn’t need to, but it hasn’t effected him much to this point.
NFL Comparison – Terry McLaurin
This is going to draw some critiques since both of these players are former Ohio State wide receivers, but there are a lot of similarities. Both are very polished route runners for their age and have great acceleration that leads to good top end speed. Terry McLaurin didn’t have the same career trajectory that Olave has had, but both have the same tools. Both also were players very willing to play special teams and could be assets there as well.
Steelers Draft Projection – First Round Pick
Once Olave ran a 4.39s 40-yard dash at the scouting combine, he cemented himself as a sure-fire first round pick. He could go as high as the early teens or as low as the late 20s, but he will definitely hear his name called on day 1 of the draft.
Let us know below what you think about Olave as a prospect and the potential of seeing him in the Black and Gold! What other prospects would you be interested in seeing a profile on? Click to comment below!
Other Potential Steelers Draft Picks
Why NDSU WR Christian Watson is the Final Missing Piece for the Steelers’ Offense
Why Tulsa WR Josh Johnson Could be the Next Antonio Brown
Local Kid Skyy Moore Compares to Hines Ward; Could Fill Slot Role
#SteelerNation
Support SteelerNation by clicking here to read the story..
