If you follow college football you very likely know who Chris Olave is. Olave got onto the field at times as a true freshman behind Paris Campbell and Terry McLaurin and took off from there. He becomes the school’s all-time leader in touchdown receptions despite never leading Ohio State in receiving during any of his four years with the Buckeyes. Now, after a four-year career, he enters the 2022 NFL draft and could be on the Chicago Bears radar.
Is there a chance that he is on the board at 39, and if so, is he a must draft for the Chicago Bears?
Chris Olave measurements and statistics
Thanks to playerprofiler.com you can see a combination of statistics and measurements of Chris Olave as well as how they all compare to the database of draft prospects over the years.
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His above-average breakout age shows that at age 19 he was able to compete and be a key player against players older than him, and his high-end target share rate shows that Ohio State chose to give him the ball more than most. Chris Olave rates above average in speed, but below average in burst.
Chris Olave’s strengths that translate to the NFL
The speed is going to do him wonders because he can take the top off of defenses, and demand respect. His footwork off of the line of scrimmage in combination with his speed make him a nightmare for any wideout looking to stick to Olave.
Olave is nuanced in his releases and has a variety of ways to get off of the line of scrimmage. He can use his entire body to set up defenders and create space for himself downfield. Everything Olave does is fluid and his entire body as one in an impressive manner. This also shows as he can track the ball over his shoulder while maintaining stride lengths.
The combination of speed, footwork, understanding of leverage, and the ability to get onto the field at Ohio State at such a young age speaks to a high floor player who is bound to be a strong option in the NFL.
Questions on how Chris Olave can translate to the NFL
As noted, he was arguably always a second threat at Ohio State, or at the least, the team always had so many other options that it was hard to keep attention towards him. There is a legitimate question as to whether or not he can be a number wideout or just a legitimate number who helps open things up for the top guy. At what point does a high-end sidekick gain value in the draft?
With his size comes to play strength questions. He can track the ball and win contested plays in that way, but will never outmuscle a man. He can typically win with his feet off of the line, but a quick jam can throw his body off.
Talked about this yesterday but this is really alarming for Olave. I love the kid but he's literally below any of the better NFL WRs in both yac/rec & missed tackles forced in their final college seasons. I dont have data more than 7 years ago so the list is limited but https://t.co/O3iZ5oUsAC pic.twitter.com/Pf0OlQmZrY
— Clevta (@Clevta) March 7, 2022
Also is his inability to create yards after the catch. Usually, he is open and can get the ball, but does not force missed tackles after that. The tweet above highlights how low his missed tackles are, and how it may concerning considering the top wideouts in the NFL have much better college numbers.
Next, we will get into his NFL comparison and how he fits with the Chicago Bears.