The Las Vegas Raiders need help with the wide receiver position following the Henry Ruggs III tragedy. Ohio State’s Chris Olave could be the answer.
After winning four in a row and clinching a playoff berth, the Raiders salvaged their spiraling season. However, by doing so, they also took themselves out of the top 10 for this year’s NFL draft. It’s a double-edged sword because if you’re one and done, dropping in the draft hurts your ability to select an upper-echelon prospect. That being said, Olave might be available when the Raiders make their choice with the 22nd selection.
Daniel Jeremiah of the NFL Network recently posted a full mock scenario for April’s NFL draft, specifically, the first round. For the Raiders, he has them slated to pick Olave at number 22. Considering the lack of depth at wide receiver, the Silver and Black should certainly pounce if he’s there.
Why Olave?
The six-foot-one, 189-pound pass catcher is a speedster that would immediately come in and help the Raiders stretch the field. The fact that he had a career average of 15.4 yards per reception tells you all you need to know about his ability. 20 touchdowns in his last two seasons at Ohio State are certainly noteworthy. In fact, he was in the top 10 in his conference (Big Ten) the last two seasons, with seven and 13 touchdowns, respectively. He was also seventh in the Big Ten in 2020 with 729 yards from scrimmage. In 2019, his 17.5 yards per reception was sixth, and his 13 touchdowns last year were first in his conference.
Last season, Pro Football Focus awarded him a 79.9 receiving grade. A breakdown of his snaps indicates he had 111 snaps playing in the slot while he totaled 561 outside wide. Even though he didn’t get 1,000 yards in any of his collegiate seasons, his big play ability is what makes him stand out. His explosiveness off the line of scrimmage is excellent; he blows right by defenders. You could also see how effective he is on screen and draw plays, moving the chains for the Buckeyes. In other words, he’s multifaceted. Olave will get you a first down, or if you dial up something downfield, he’ll get you a score.
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*Top Photo: AP Photo/Jay LaPrete
