X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Join the Best Live Fantasy Chat Community!

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Chris Olave - 2022 NFL Draft Rookie Profile

Chris Olave - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers

The 2022 NFL Draft Prospect Profile series features prominent 2022 NFL Draft prospects with film analysis and scouting insights. I have experience working in college football and have been studying the NFL Draft for over 15 years. My analysis is based on film study and analytics. In 2021, I profiled nine of the top skill players in the draft. So far this season, I have written up profiles on Arkansas WR Treylon Burks, USC WR Drake London, Ohio State WR Garrett Wilson, Pittsburgh QB Kenny Pickett, Liberty QB Malik Willis, and North Carolina QB Sam Howell.

A common misconception about the NFL Draft is that the college and pro games are very similar. They are not. Besides the obvious difference in speed and skill level, a college field has different hash mark distances and different rules. There are specific schemes and plays that NFL teams copy from college and vice versa. But the differences between the two are understated in NFL Draft analysis. There's a reason many highly-productive college players are not considered legitimate professionals.

To that end, scouting prospects is not just about evaluating college performance, it’s about projecting traits that translate to the next level. This is not limited to just physical traits. There are certain football traits that are evident in college film and will translate to the pro game. For example, a wide receiver being able to get in and out of breaks efficiently will not change from college to pro. On the flip side, an edge rusher who got most of his sacks due to hustle or missed offensive line assignments may not have shown translatable traits on film. We will continue our 2022 Prospect Profile series with Ohio State WR Chris Olave.

Editor's Note: Our incredible team of writers won two writing awards and received 12 award nominations by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association. A big congrats to our very own Byron Lindeque (Golf) and Jordan McAbee (NASCAR) for both winning Writer Of The Year awards! Be sure to follow RotoBaller's analysis and advice all year long, and win more. Win More With RotoBaller!

 

Chris Olave - NFL Rookie Profile

Chris Olave is a 6-0, 187-pound speedster who produced 2702 receiving yards and 35 touchdowns during his four-year career at Ohio State. Olave passed on declaring last year as a Junior and went back to Columbus in 2021, when he led an historic Ohio State WR group with 13 touchdowns. Olave is commonly ranked behind fellow Buckeye Garrett Wilson, but he has a strong case to flip that. In fact, Olave being the first WR drafted isn't out of the question. He's that good. Let's dive into the film.

 

Deep Threat

Chris Olave's play speed is his most dominating physical trait. His ability to win deep down the field will make him very attractive to teams that emphasize stretching the field vertically. Teaming him up with a QB who can hit the deep ball would be deadly.

The clip below shows him blow by the outside leverage corner and run away from the safety. Even with a slightly underthrown ball, Clemson's DBs have no chance. Olave is more smooth than twitchy, and you can see how he sprints off his outside foot at the subtle breakpoint of the deep post route. This stuff translates.

To be an excellent deep threat, tracking the football is an essential skill. Olave is fantastic at the catch point down the field. The clip below shows him extend and "stab late" so that he can run through the catch point. His hands are excellent. Also, while we can't see the route on the broadcast footage, his separation from the corner just gets wider as he reacts to the ball. That's play speed.

Olave is terrific at adjusting his body and placing his hands to make over-the-shoulder grabs. The catch below is extremely difficult, but he's able to secure it while leaning his body to the outside and keeping his feet in bounds. Notice how deliberate and focused his eyes are to the ball to complete the play. Brilliant stuff.

Olave's play speed shines through in other ways than just deep balls. In the clip below he runs a simple shallow cross. It's a 40-yard dash to the opposite side of the field and his separation from the defender just gets wider. He's literally exponentially faster.

 

Making it Look Easy

There is a lot of data that supports the notion that the best WR prospects are early declarees. Chris Olave stayed all four years at Ohio State and also never emerged as the true alpha on his team. However, it is super important to view each situation on a case-by-case basis, and I believe his film separates him from past busts with those two things in common. While Olave did choose to stay in school for his Senior year, it's not like he built his draft status as a Senior. He had already established himself as a first-round player. Also, we have seen way too many instances where two or more receivers on a college team had success in the NFL. Not separating yourself as the unquestioned alpha when the other guys around you are also special isn't a big deal. See Justin Jefferson.

Olave's return to school actually makes him one of the more mature and polished WRs in this class. He clearly understands passing concepts, how to set up routes, and use leverage to his advantage. You can't play as fast as he does without mastering the fundamentals of your craft and having 100% confidence in understanding your assignment on each play.

The clip below shows a simple curl route against zone coverage. Notice how fluid he is out of the break. He's not as twitchy as Garrett Wilson, but his smoothness and hip fluidity allows him to stem outside and win back downhill.

The more I watched Olave, the more I liked his route-running. He didn't gain separation on every single rep, but there was more than enough evidence that he can work the boundary against one-on-one coverage at the NFL level.

Olave also has excellent hands and made some very difficult catches. The clip below shows him climb the ladder against Rutgers, extend his arms and secure the catch along the boundary.

While not a huge run-after-catch threat, Olave's smoothness does translate when he transitions to a runner. The clip below shows him unsurprisingly win on the deep crosser and quickly flip his head and eyes around to burst upfield. He may have to jump to catch the ball because the defender is in his line of vision.

 

Weaknesses

The main question with Olave's translation to the pro game is how he'll deal with physicality. Olave is smooth and fast but he's not a physical player. How he deals with fast, physical DBs trying to rough him up will be key.

The clip below shows him getting re-routed fairly easily by the Penn State defender over him in the slot. He's pushed two full yards off his route and loses speed. This allows the outside corner to get hands on (yes possibly a slight tug), and either their feet get tangled or Olave just falls after being contacted. Regardless of whether or not it should be a penalty, this clip shows his play strength as below average.

Olave struggling with physicality is a possibility. In the clip below he' asked to block a corner. He doesn't deliver a strike or move his feet, and his feeble attempt fails completely. His film showed a player that basically can't block. While there are ways to scheme around that, it's more an indictment on his lack of play strength than anything else.

In addition to poor blocking and issues with physicality, there were instances on film of Olave struggling to separate on shorter routes. The route below is a simple hitch, but the DB does not buy him vertically at all. His strides are too obvious, his arms aren't pumping, and he reaches at the top of the break. It's a loss against man coverage.

There were other instances where his lack of twitch didn't allow him to layer moves on top of just winning with speed. For example, after stacking a defender, he wouldn't use a rocker step to fake one way and break to his corner route. This will allow good DBs to simply trail and make up ground when Olave has to change direction.

 

NFL Outlook

Chris Olave is an incredibly talented WR prospect with ideal play speed, hands, and ball-tracking ability. His smoothness, fluidity, and polish make him a dynamic player who projects to make a lot of big plays at the next level. Olave isn't the biggest run-after-catch threat, doesn't always get separation on short routes, and isn't a good blocker, but a lot of teams care more about what you can do than what you can't. If a team is looking for a deep threat, his game clearly translates to the NFL. I would be shocked to see Olave slip past the 20th pick, and I think he's a darkhorse candidate to be the first WR off the board and a top-10 pick. He's that good.

Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more draft content in the coming days.

Other Prospect Profiles:

Malik Willis - QB, Liberty

Kenny Pickett - QB, Pittsburgh

Sam Howell - QB, North Carolina

Garrett Wilson - WR, Ohio State

Drake London - WR, USC

Treylon Burks - WR, Arkansas



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!




Win More With RotoBaller

Be sure to also check out all of our other daily fantasy football articles and analysis to help you set those winning lineups, including this new RotoBaller YouTube video:

More NFL Rookie Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Nick Senzel6 hours ago

Expected To Miss 3-4 Weeks
Jon Gray7 hours ago

To Start On Sunday
Justin Steele7 hours ago

Likely To Go On Injured List
Anfernee Simons9 hours ago

Out Against The Heat
Max Kepler9 hours ago

X-Rays Come Back Negative On Max Kepler
Keldon Johnson9 hours ago

Questionable For Friday
Justin Steele9 hours ago

Has Left-Hamstring Tightness
Matisse Thybulle9 hours ago

Questionable For Friday
Davis Bertans9 hours ago

Listed As Probable For Friday
Jusuf Nurkic9 hours ago

Questionable Against Oklahoma City
Dario Saric9 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Friday
Noah Clowney9 hours ago

Probable For Nets Friday
Jonathan Kuminga10 hours ago

Questionable For Warriors Friday
Jerami Grant10 hours ago

Considered Doubtful For Friday
Dennis Smith10 hours ago

Jr. Probable For Friday
Lauri Markkanen10 hours ago

Questionable Against Houston
Toumani Camara10 hours ago

Will Not Play Friday
Justin Steele10 hours ago

Exits Thursday's Start
Richaun Holmes10 hours ago

Out Versus Pistons
Cameron Johnson10 hours ago

Out Against Chicago On Friday
Luka Doncic10 hours ago

On The Injury Report For Friday
David Bednar10 hours ago

Still Dealing With Lat Injury
Deandre Ayton10 hours ago

Is Questionable For Friday
Rudy Gobert10 hours ago

Might Miss Friday's Game
Tyus Jones10 hours ago

Unavailable For Friday
Zeke Nnaji11 hours ago

Ruled Out Against Minnesota
Jaden Ivey11 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Friday
Rhys McKee11 hours ago

Searching For First UFC Win
Anthony Edwards11 hours ago

Uncertain For Friday Night
Chidi Njokuani11 hours ago

Drops Back Down To Welterweight At UFC Atlantic City
Kyle Nelson11 hours ago

An Underdog Again At UFC Atlantic City
Bill Algeo11 hours ago

Eyes Sixth UFC Win
Joaquin Buckley11 hours ago

Gets Ranked Opponent At UFC Atlantic City
Vicente Luque11 hours ago

Gets Short-Notice Opponent At UFC Atlantic City
Eduardo Rodriguez12 hours ago

Could Throw Off Mound In 5-7 Days
Max Kepler12 hours ago

Leaves On Opening Day With Injury
Nick Senzel12 hours ago

Suffers Broken Thumb
Jason Foley12 hours ago

Earns The Save For Tigers
Tarik Skubal13 hours ago

Tosses Six Scoreless Innings On Opening Day
Corbin Burnes13 hours ago

Pitches A Gem On Opening Day
Royce Lewis13 hours ago

Exits With Quad Injury
Max Scherzer15 hours ago

Throws Bullpen Session
Clayton Kershaw15 hours ago

"Ahead Of Things" Timetable-Wise
Walker Buehler15 hours ago

Ahead Of Schedule
Corey Seager15 hours ago

Active On Opening Day
Oneil Cruz15 hours ago

Batting Sixth On Opening Day
Bryan Reynolds17 hours ago

In Opening Day Lineup
Jordan Romano19 hours ago

Not Expected To Be Out Long
Aaron Ekblad20 hours ago

Returning To Panthers Lineup Thursday
Nikita Kucherov20 hours ago

Establishes New Career High With 42nd Goal
Shane Pinto20 hours ago

Collects Career-High Four Points
Valeri Nichushkin20 hours ago

Nursing A Lower-Body Injury
Samuel Girard20 hours ago

Battling An Illness
J.K. Dobbins20 hours ago

Visiting With Chargers On Thursday
Oskar Sundqvist20 hours ago

To Miss Rest Of Season With Torn ACL
Ethan Bear21 hours ago

Enters Player Assistance Program
Mark Hubbard2 days ago

Coming Off A Career Performance
Davis Thompson2 days ago

Looking To Pay Off A Stellar Run Of Ball-Striking
Akshay Bhatia2 days ago

Coming Into Houston With Confidence
Thorbjorn Olesen2 days ago

Still Trying To Find Footing On U.S. Soil
Patrick Rodgers2 days ago

Fighting Inconsistencies Heading Into Houston
Malik Nabers2 days ago

Shines At Pro Day
Carolina Panthers2 days ago

Jadeveon Clowney Signing Two-Year Deal With Panthers
Wyndham Clark2 days ago

Battling Back Injury Ahead of Houston Open
San Francisco 49ers2 days ago

Talanoa Hufanga Expected To Return At Training Camp
Jayden Daniels2 days ago

Raiders To Meet With Jayden Daniels
Tank Bigsby2 days ago

Jaguars Want Tank Bigsby More Involved
Josh Reynolds2 days ago

Signs Two-Year Deal With Broncos
Doug Ghim2 days ago

Looks To Bounce Back At Houston Open
PGA2 days ago

Cameron Davis Seeking Consistency Ahead Of Houston Open
Thomas Detry2 days ago

A Gamble At Houston Open
Ryan Fox2 days ago

Lacks Upside Heading Into Houston Open
Andrew Novak2 days ago

Will Be Chalk At Houston Open
Josh Doan2 days ago

Scores Twice In His NHL Debut
Filip Forsberg2 days ago

Makes History In Big Comeback Win
Jamie Benn2 days ago

Scores In Fifth Consecutive Game
Sidney Crosby2 days ago

Collects Three Points Versus Carolina
Artemi Panarin2 days ago

Continues Scoring Tear With Three Assists
Joey Daccord2 days ago

Shuts Out Ducks
Sahith Theegala2 days ago

Showing Consistency This Season
Wyndham Clark2 days ago

Working Toward Star Status
Scottie Scheffler2 days ago

Heads To Houston At His Best
Sam Ryder2 days ago

Putting The Lights Out Of Late
Joel Dahmen2 days ago

All Systems Go For Joel Dahmen In Houston
Kurt Kitayama2 days ago

Ready For Houston Debut
Ben Griffin2 days ago

Finding Form Heading To Houston
Taylor Moore2 days ago

Continues Made-Cut Streak Heading To Houston
Adam Svensson2 days ago

Hoping For Consistency In Houston
Taylor Montgomery2 days ago

Looks To Bounce Back In Houston
Amon-Ra St. Brown2 days ago

Discussing Extension With Lions
Jared Goff2 days ago

Lions Discussing New Deal
J.K. Dobbins2 days ago

Cleared For Football Activities
Los Angeles Rams2 days ago

Tre'Davious White To Join Rams
PIT3 days ago

Sam Poulin Recalled From AHL
Jack Quinn3 days ago

Could Return Wednesday
Scott Mayfield3 days ago

Undergoes Season-Ending Surgery
TOR3 days ago

Mitch Marner Skates On His Own Tuesday
Trevor Zegras3 days ago

To Return Tuesday
Justus Annunen3 days ago

Inks Two-Year Extension
Nick Chubb3 days ago

Expected To Start Load Running Next Month
D'Andre Swift3 days ago

Bears View D'Andre Swift As Receiving Weapon
Cordarrelle Patterson3 days ago

Signing With Steelers
Sam Howell3 days ago

Seahawks Believe Sam Howell Can Be A Full-Time Starter
Tennessee Titans3 days ago

L'Jarius Sneed Agrees On Four-Year Contract With Titans
Dak Prescott3 days ago

No Indication A Deal Is Coming For Dak Prescott
Calvin Ridley3 days ago

To Have Big Role In Tennessee
Josh Jacobs3 days ago

To Be Used More In Passing Game
Brandon Saad3 days ago

Gets Another Goal In Monday's Loss
Logan Thompson3 days ago

Stretches Winning Streak To Three Games
Pittsburgh Steelers3 days ago

Cameron Heyward Expected To Be Healthy For Training Camp
Zach Wilson3 days ago

Jets Could End Up Keeping Zach Wilson
Amanda Ribas4 days ago

Takes Decision Loss
Rose Namajunas4 days ago

Snaps Losing Streak
Edmen Shahbazyan4 days ago

Scores Vicious Comeback Knockout
AJ Dobson4 days ago

Knocked Out In The First Round At UFC Vegas 89
Fernando Padilla4 days ago

Gets Back On Track With Submission Win
Luis Pajuelo4 days ago

Submitted In UFC Debut
William Byron4 days ago

Dominates For Victory At COTA
Ty Gibbs4 days ago

Grabs Another Solid Finish At COTA
Chris Buescher4 days ago

Texas Native Chris Buescher Finishes Eighth At COTA
Christopher Bell4 days ago

Kyle Busch Confronts Christopher Bell Following A Top-10 Finish At COTA
Justin Haley4 days ago

Disqualified After Strong COTA Run
Martin Truex Jr4 days ago

. Rounds Out Top Ten At COTA
NASCAR4 days ago

A.J. Allmendinger Worms Way Up To Sixth At COTA
Shane Van Gisbergen4 days ago

Shane van Gisbergen Comes Down to Earth After Mediocre COTA Run
Ross Chastain4 days ago

Ran Well at COTA as Usual Despite Late-Race Fade
Christopher Bell4 days ago

Furious Charge Falls Just Short at COTA
Tyler Reddick4 days ago

Scores Strong Finish of Fifth at COTA
Chase Elliott4 days ago

Finishes 16th at COTA After Lackluster Performance
Billy Quarantillo5 days ago

Suffers Submission Loss At UFC Vegas 89
Youssef Zalal5 days ago

Gets Submission Win In Return To The UFC
Cameron Saaiman5 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Vegas 89
Payton Talbott5 days ago

Scores KO Win At UFC Vegas 89
Justin Tafa5 days ago

Drops To .500 In The UFC
Karl Williams5 days ago

Remains Undefeated In The UFC
Kyle Larson5 days ago

Is One Of The Optimal DFS Options For COTA
Denny Hamlin5 days ago

Should Denny Hamlin Be Rostered For DFS Lineups At COTA?
Kaz Grala5 days ago

Is A Serviceable DFS Play For COTA
Shane Van Gisbergen5 days ago

Will Start 12th In First COTA Cup Start
Todd Gilliland5 days ago

Is A Sneaky DFS Play With Upside For COTA
William Byron5 days ago

Is One Of The Top Favorites To Win At COTA
Christopher Bell5 days ago

Is A Comfortable DFS Play For COTA
Tyler Reddick5 days ago

the Favorite to Win at COTA
Ty Gibbs5 days ago

Looking for First Career Win at COTA
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 

2024 NFL Draft: Bold Predictions and Potential Surprises for Round 1

Football never sleeps at RotoBaller! With the 2024 NFL Draft fast approaching, we're digging into what might transpire on draft night. RotoBaller analyst LaQuan Jones previews the 2024 NFL Draft and makes some BOLD Predictions about possible surprises and potential landing spots for the first round of the draft. Win MORE in 2024 with RotoBaller!... Read More


George Pickens - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Early Look At Wide Receivers In 2024 Fantasy Football Drafts

The upcoming NFL Draft is less than a month away. While everyone is excited for the NFL Draft, fantasy players are looking forward to the regular season. While we won’t have meaningful NFL football for months, it’s never too early to prepare for your fantasy football drafts. Last year, the fantasy football world saw multiple... Read More


Spencer Rattler, College Football Transfers

Underrated Rookie Draft Targets - Early 2024 Sleepers for Dynasty Fantasy Football

We are a month out from the NFL Draft, meaning if you are here, you are probably looking for draft content and reading up on prospects. You probably have all of the information you need on stud prospects like Caleb Williams and Marvin Harrison Jr. That’s not what you’re here for.  Rookie draft season for... Read More


Breece Hall - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2024 NFL Free-Agency Winners and the Fantasy Football Impact - Part II

The NFL's offseason, including trades and free agency, can strongly impact a player's fantasy football value. This effect can be positive or negative. For this series, we're focusing on fantasy football players who have seen their fantasy value increase. This can occur via a player's direct movement, such as a trade or signing with a... Read More


UFL RANKINGS, FANTASY FOOTBALL,

UFL Fantasy Football Rankings for Week 1: QB, RB, WR, TE Rankings and Analysis (2024)

It's finally here: the UFL season is set to kick off with two games on Saturday, March 30 and two games on Sunday, March 31. Saturday's games will be broadcast on Fox Sports while Sunday's matchups will be on ESPN. The most anticipated Week 1 matchup pits the 2023 USFL champion Birmingham Stallions against the... Read More


Jared Goff - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Will the Lions Extend Jared Goff's Contract This Offseason? 2024 NFL Outlook

Jared Goff's career in Los Angeles didn't take off like many expected after his appearance in Super Bowl LIII, and he was traded to the Lions for Matthew Stafford. Goff's first season in the Motor City was terrible, but he has completely turned things around over the last two seasons. In 2022, he almost led... Read More


Kyle Pitts - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2024 NFL Free-Agency Winners and the Fantasy Football Impact - Part I

Free agency symbolizes the start of a new NFL season. It's the first opportunity for NFL clubs to start addressing their weaknesses and considerably impacts how the upcoming season plays out. Just as free agency can improve or worsen a team's outlook, a player's fantasy football value is also impacted. Free agency marks the real... Read More


Malik Nabers - Fantasy Football Rankings, College FB, WR, NFL Draft Sleepers

Coach Knows Ball: Malik Nabers 2024 NFL Draft Film Breakdown of LSU WR

Welcome to Coach Knows Ball, an NFL Draft series analyzing the top prospects in the 2024 class. I'm a college football coach with nine years of NCAA experience and have been scouting NFL Draft prospects for over 15 years. This series will give a deep dive into the film of some of the top players... Read More


Avoid These Running Backs in 2024: Fantasy Football Outlook

Football never sleeps at RotoBaller! The staff is already looking ahead to the 2024 season to help our readers get the jump on their competition. RotoBaller analyst LaQuan Jones discusses five Running Backs that you should AVOID in 2024 fantasy football drafts. Win MORE in 2024 with RotoBaller! Be sure to tune into RotoBaller Radio... Read More


Brock Bowers - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers, NCAA College Football, Prospects

Brock Bowers 2024 NFL Draft Stock Update – When Will the Georgia TE Be Selected?

Georgia tight end Brock Bowers was arguably the top tight end in college football over the past few years. Bowers was outstanding his freshman year, totaling 56 receptions for 882 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns. Unfortunately, his production slightly slipped in 2022 as defenses started to game plan for the star tight end. Bowers had... Read More


Xavier Worthy 2024 NFL Draft Stock Update – When Will the Texas WR Be Selected?

Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy has been one of the top pass-catchers in college football over the past few years. The explosive receiver was outstanding his freshman year, totaling 62 receptions for 981 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns. Unfortunately, his production slipped in 2022. Worthy had 60 receptions for 760 receiving yards and nine touchdowns... Read More


Blake Corum - Fantasy Football Rankings, College FB, RB, NFL Draft Sleepers

Blake Corum 2024 NFL Draft Stock Update - When Will the Michigan RB Be Selected?

Former Michigan running back Blake Corum is one of the most popular prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft class. The 23-year-old is fresh off a College Football National Championship victory and a 2023 campaign consisting of over 1,300 yards from scrimmage. However, given the devaluation of the running back position and Corum not being an... Read More


Brandon Aiyuk - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News

Will The 49ers Trade Brandon Aiyuk?

Brandon Aiyuk had a career year last season, finishing seventh in the league in receiving yards (1342), second in yards per catch (17.9), and catching seven touchdowns. For his efforts, he was named to the Second-team All-Pro. However, despite many expecting them to do so, the 49ers failed to win Super Bowl LVIII and now... Read More