The New Orleans Saints traded up in the 2022 NFL Draft to land what some scouts think could be the best wide receiver in his class.
Chris Olave of Ohio State shined throughout his college career and seems to have all the physical traits to become a perennial deep-play threat at the professional level.
And even though it's just training camp, everybody's been quite impressed with him thus far.
Olave made the rounds on social media with a 60-yard touchdown reception. He burned his teammate on a missed coverage and showed promising chemistry with Jameis Winston, with Rod Walker of NOLA claiming the coaching staff loved every second of it:
"Four practices in, Olave has shown the speed and big-play ability that allowed him to average 15.4 yards per catch and 35 career touchdowns at Ohio State," Walker wrote. "His 60-yard touchdown reception in Saturday’s practice, where he sped past broken coverage, has been one of the biggest splash plays of camp thus far."
Jameis Winston has loved what he's seen thus far. He's had his fair share of star WR teammates, and he's confident that Olave can achieve that same status with all his God-given traits and work ethic:
“He’s just smooth,” Winston said. “He’s already a pro. I had Chris Godwin and you could see it in his eyes already that he was a pro. I see that in Chris (Olave). The moment isn’t too big for him. He’s just an excellent player and he works his tail off. He’s smooth and he can run and you always like that.”
The Saints addressed their biggest offensive need by trading up in the Draft. But still, maybe their biggest reinforcement comes from within, as Michael Thomas was finally able to practice after more than a year on the sidelines:
“I’m at a loss for words,” Thomas said. “It’s a blessing to be out there with the guys.”
So, with the additions of Tyrann Mathieu and Jarvis Landry plus Jameis Winston and Michael Thomas coming back, how good can Dennis Allen's team truly be?
We know the Bucs will once again be at the top of the division, but the NFC South isn't exactly tough, so a playoff berth isn't out of the question for this defensive-minded team with the potential of having an explosive offense.
