What the New Orleans Saints will get in Ohio State WR Chris Olave

Everyone who follows Ohio State closely, or even casually, is fully aware of Chris Olave's humble beginnings.

Those beginnings have finally culminated in Olave cracking the highest stage of the sport. The former Buckeyes star receiver has been selected No. 11 overall by the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the NFL Draft. Garrett Wilson and Olave were selected with back-to-back picks with Wilson going to the New York Jets at No. 10 overall. They were the second and third receivers off the board following USC receiver Drake London's selection to the Atlanta Falcons at No. 8 overall.

He brings with him one of the most impressive development stories the Buckeyes have had under head coach Ryan Day and receivers coach Brian Hartline.

Olave was just a three-star recruit out of Mission Hills High School in San Marcos, California when then-Buckeyes offensive coordinator Ryan Day discovered a hidden gem while recruiting Olave's teammate: quarterback Jack Tuttle.

Day, however, was drawn to the receiver Tuttle was throwing to and eventually offered Olave, who went on to sign with the Buckeyes as the No. 74-ranked receiver nationwide and No. 54 player in California in the Class of 2018.

He turned that into one of the most illustrious careers for an Ohio State receiver in program history. He finished with 175 catches for 2,702 receiving yards and 35 touchdowns, ending his career as the Buckeyes' all-time leader in receiving touchdowns, No. 2 in career receptions and No. 5 in career receiving yards.

Hell of a career for the lowest-ranked recruit in Ohio State's 2018 signing class. That's the aura and reputation he now brings with him to the New Orleans Saints

Olave also brings notoriety as arguably the most polished receiver in the 2022 draft class. The crisp route running is how Olave made his bread with the Buckeyes, most notably on the comeback and stop routes that became lethal between him and Justin Fields, and that carried over into his one season with C.J. Stroud throwing him the ball.

He also used electric speed (an official NFL Combine time of 4.39 seconds in the 40-yard dash) to get behind defenses, using either a stutter step or a rock step to gain an extra hair of leverage on cornerbacks. That's when he would showcase perhaps his best trait as a pass catcher: his tracking ability. Olave's vision and judgement from the moment the ball left his quarterback's hand to the moment of impact in his hands were how he made up for some of his physical limitations.

Those limitations are one reason why Olave slid down the draft board. He's much stronger than he used to be, and that's one reason he marked down for why he returned for a fourth season in college. He wanted to gain muscle and strength in order to handle the punishment his body would take in games and throughout the grind of a 17-game season.

He got himself to 187 pounds to pack onto his 6-foot frame, but he remains a slender, smaller outside receiver. But he is also one of the smoothest, combining that route running and tracking ability with an uncanny way of flashing his hands at the last moment and still hauling in a pass – an extra way he makes up for physical limitations to get an advantage on a cornerback who doesn't know the ball is arriving because of Olave flashing at the last second.

Olave earned a 79.3 offensive grade and 79.9 receiver grade by Pro Football Focus, each of which rank in the top 65 in the country for receivers, during his final college season.

All of that above – the reliability with his hands, his route running, his speed that makes him a home run threat and allows him to take the top off the defense – makes him an ideal fit for the New Orleans Saints.

Olave figures to pair with another former Ohio State receiver in the Saints offense in Michael Thomas.

Thomas missed the entire 2021 season with an ankle injury, but he is expected to return this season under a Saints offense in its first year without offensive guru Sean Payton running the show since 2006.

New Orleans now has two very reliable receivers for either Jameis Winston or Andy Dalton to target. Winston figures to resume his role as the Saints starting quarterback but is coming off a torn ACL that ended his season in Week 8.

Olave was the lowest-ranked signee in Ohio State's class, but he quickly became a fan favorite during his first year on campus. He capped it off with a performance that will forever remain in Buckeyes lore as one of the program's most memorable for a true freshman. Olave was filling in for an injured Austin Mack and hauled in two touchdown catches, and he added a blocked punt that was returned for a touchdown in a 62-39 win.

He parlayed that first year into a third-team All-Big Ten season in 2019, a first-team All-Big Ten season as a junior and another monster season with career highs in receptions (65), receiving yards (936) and touchdown receptions (13) en route to another first-team all-conference award.

His third season at Ohio State was a revenge tour of sorts. His mistake in the 2019 Fiesta Bowl against Clemson was the final nail in the coffin in a loss to the Tigers as he broke off a route that led directly to Justin Fields throwing an interception to end the game. But Olave fired back in the 2020 College Football Playoff, grabbing two touchdowns to lead Ohio State to the national championship game.

Olave could have entered the NFL Draft following that junior season in which he racked up 729 yards receiving and seven touchdown receptions on 50 catches in just seven games. He would have been a potential first-round pick and almost certainly a second-rounder.

His return helped him cement himself in the Ohio State record books. He left a strong legacy in Columbus, and now he has the opportunity to do the same in the NFL.