2023 Player Review: Chris Olave

Another promising year for the ascending talent.

There were some pretty lofty expectations coming into the season for New Orleans Saints star wide receiver Chris Olave. The second-year pro out of Ohio State was slated to be the primary receiver in the offense on the heels of a noteworthy rookie performance in 2022. Olave also had a productive off-season, as many regarded him as the unofficial offensive MVP of the Saints training camp. This would set the stage for another season of growth and development for the former 11th overall pick.

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Olave was able to progress from year one to year two with 15 more receptions, 81 additional yards and a plus 1 in the TD category. Chris finished this past season with 1123 yards and 5 touchdowns in 16 games, along with a host of highlight worthy catches along the way. Though numbers wise it wasn’t a huge increase in production, his ability to affect opposing defensive game planning was often visible. He was amongst the top in the league when it came to yards per route run (+2.0) and finished in the Top 15 in PFF’s overall Wide Receiver rankings. Olave has quickly worked his way into becoming highly regarded as one of the better pass catchers in the NFL.

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Many expected Olave to have an even bigger year in 2023, but there were some chemistry issues at times, in addition to bad play calling within the offense. Some of the timing issues were expected with the Saints welcoming new quarterback, Derek Carr to the mix this season. The receiver and quarterback struggled at times to be on the same page, but as the season progressed, they effectively figured things out. Olave would eventually rack up (5) 100-yard games with at least (5) receptions in 11 out his 16 games and also 85 yards or more in 8 contests.

Even though there will be more transition this upcoming season with new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, the ceiling is extremely high for the young wide receiver. There will once again be high expectations for he and the rest of the offense, but with another year of experience and another productive off-season with his second year QB, Olave could be on the brink of a truly breakout, Pro Bowl type season. Saints’ fans will be adamantly watching and anticipating #12 to be something special for the Black and Gold in 2024-25.